Literally translated as ¡°meat bone tea,¡± bak kut teh is an aromatic pork rib broth found in Singapore and Malaysia, and an idea has floated around my subconscious for some time: Why not enrich this ¡°tea¡± with actual tea leaves, specifically of the smoked Lapsang souchong variety?
But then a friend suggested I try iribancha, a roasted tea with a rich, fireside flavor (owing to its leaves being heated to their smoking point) that¡¯s beloved in Kyoto.
Bak kut teh is a soup that gets served with sides, but Okinawan soki soba adds ribs and wheat noodles to the broth for a meal in a single bowl. This recipe is a mashup ¡ª the spiced rib broth meets smoky tea and kombu for depth and noodles for bulk. It¡¯s worth noting that Okinawan soba does not use buckwheat, a common allergen found in most varieties of soba.
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