are traditionally tea-drinking cultures and this aspect runs deep in their cuisines. History Bak kut teh is commonly consumed in both Malaysia and Singapore. The origin of bak kut teh is unclear, but it is believed to have been brought over from Fujian, China and to have derived from the Fujianese dish known as niu pai. In Malaysia, the dish is popularly associated with Klang, where the locals believe it to be the place of origin of bak kut teh. There are a number of claims for the invention of the dish; one claimed that a local sinseh (a Chinese physician) invented the dish in the 1930s, while another claimed he brought the recipe from his hometown in Fujian, China, in the 1940s. The dish is also claimed to have been invented in Port Klang for coolies working at the port to supplement their meagre diet and as a tonic to boost their health in the early 20th century. The dish was popular among early Chinese immigrants, many of whom had also come from Fujian. The Teochew variant was developed in Singapore and was sold along areas located beside the Singapore River, specifically in Clarke Quay and River Valley after the end of World War II. By the 1960s, bak kut teh had become a popular street fare in Singapore. Certain business has been focused mainly on serving this dish, and developed their business from humble pushcart into a restaurant chain. The Chinese word bak (), which means "meat" (or more specifically pork), is the vernacular pronunciation in Hokkien, but not in Teochew (which pronounced it as nek), suggesting an original Hokkien root. The question of its origin has been the subject of a dispute between Malaysia and Singapore; in 2009, the tourism minister of Malaysia, Ng Yen Yen, claimed that bak kut teh is a dish of Malaysian origin, and that neighbouring countries had "hijacked" many of Malaysia's original dishes. Varieties There are numerous variants of bak kut teh with its cooking style closely influenced by the prevailing Chinese enclave of a certain geographical location. There are three main types of bak kut teh. The Teochew style, which is light in colour but uses more pepper and garlic in the soup. The Hoklo (Hokkien), uses a variety of herbs and soy sauce creating a more fragrant, textured and darker soup. The Cantonese, with a soup-drinking culture, add medicinal herbs