Bakwa Made from Wolf Meat?
Is the bakwa we eat during Chinese New Year made from pork or wolf meat?
In the early days, bakwa was referred to as dried meat in the Guangdong and Hakka areas ‘Long Ngiuk’. We called it ‘Long Ngiuk’. People thought it was sliced meat made from wolf meat and they thought it was precious.
‘Long Ngiuk’ means dried meat. Traditionally, the meat is spread out on bamboo sieves as they are larger and more heat-resistant. The meat is dried over charcoal for 4-5 hours, then sliced and grilled over charcoal a second time.
The word “Long” (to dry) sounds like ‘wolf’ in Cantonese. Hence the misconception of ‘wolf meat’.
The term bakaw is thought to have become popular in Malaysia after the Japanese war. Whether it’s dried meat or bakaw, they are all the New Year’s flavour of Singapore and Malaysia.