It used to be challenging to find halal bakkwa in Kuching 10 years ago. But thanks to our hardworking fellow Sarawakian, Azlandy Mohammid Ali Tuah, owner of TS.CO La Barbacoa, who has produced scrumptious halal bakkwa made in accordance with the genuine traditional recipe using only halal sources and ingredients, now everyone can enjoy the deliciousness of bakkwa without hesitation!
One man’s tasty endeavour
Bakkwa (or dried meat in Hokkien dialect) is a dried savoury sweetmeat that is frequently found in the shape of a thin square slice or round golden coin. It is usually made from pork and sometimes contains alcohol.
I still recall when a Chinese friend of mine informed me that bakkwa is a must-have delicacy to be served during the Chinese New Year because they believe its red colour represents luck and good fortune. As such, whoever consumes the bakkwa will have lady luck knocking on their door very soon.
In the past (or even in the last 10 years), finding halal bakkwa in Kuching was impossible!
However, thanks to our dedicated fellow Sarawakians, who have made a revolutionary leap forward by producing halal bakkwa that is made in accordance with the authentic traditional recipe, we can now enjoy bakkwa without prejudice!
TS.CO La Barbacoa uses only halal sources and ingredients to create a perfect and delectable bakkwa, from beginning to end, until it is ready to be served.
According to its founder and owner Azlandy Mohammid Ali Tuah, one of the main sources of inspiration for him to start this business was the struggles of his Chinese friends and reverts who wanted halal bakkwa to be served during the festive season.
“I accidentally ate Taiwanese bakkwa when I was 10 years old. At that time, I was still studying in a Chinese primary school.
“Making a halal version of the bakkwa was motivated by memories of its taste.
“In addition, many of my Chinese friends frequently lament the difficulty of finding halal bakkwa to serve to guests, particularly Muslims during Chinese New Year.
“For those reasons, I established TS.CO La Barbacoa, which means the barbecue in Spanish, in 2019 with the primary goal of supplying halal bakkwa,” said the 38-year-old Malay man, adding that he often consults some of his Chinese friends to ensure the bakkwa he produces is the same as the original (in terms of taste and texture).
Elaborating, the youngest of four siblings said his business journey was not as easy as he imagined because, when he first started out, he faced criticism from the public, who doubted the halal status of his bakkwa.
The doubt, he said, was the biggest factor that contributed to the lack of response to his bakkwa.
However, he is very grateful to have had revert friends who helped spread the word about his halal bakkwa to their relatives and acquaintances; from there, the public came to trust his bakkwa as being halal, and now it is becoming more and more well-liked as a snack food (artisanal food).
“Most people also question my bakkwa’s halal status because I keep selling it under its original name rather than those sellers who have changed it to dendeng or smoked meat.
“In fact, I received criticism for making halal bakkwa because, in the eyes of some, I gave other races’ food a higher status.
“Alhamdulillah, it began to be accepted by many, including Muslims, in 2021 — thanks to my Chinese Muslim friends who are never tired of supporting and introducing my bakkwa to the public,” he explained, adding that the mentality of the community, which is now more and more accepting of his halal bakkwa, as well as the positive response from the general public, has encouraged him to sell his product openly for the first time at Padang Merdeka on February 18 and 19.
Explaining the process of producing his halal bakkwa, Azlandy, who is also a photographer at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), said he usually needs two days to produce his product, from marinating to smoking, grilling, and packaging.
He added that he would first marinate chopped beef or chicken with some traditional Chinese spices overnight to enhance the flavour.
After marinating overnight, he will transfer all the ingredients into a special container and smoke them for four hours using charcoal. It will then rest for a while before being grilled over the coals.
“The main ingredient in making bakkwa is sugar or honey. The original bakkwa, according to my non-Muslim friends, is sweeter. However, since the health of the consumer is my priority, I have reduced the sweetness in all of my bakkwa.
“I once questioned my Chinese friends about the difference between my halal bakkwa and the original one. They claimed that while the texture was the same, the taste was slightly different, with my bakkwa being less sweet than the non-halal or original,” he said, adding that besides bakkwa, he also sells mantou bakkwa (steam bun bakkwa).
Speaking on how to retain the quality of his product, Azlandy told New Sarawak Tribune that he will only make bakkwa if there is demand.
According to him, at the moment, he only makes bakkwa according to online orders, and he often accepts orders two weeks in advance.
“I can only fulfil 5 kilogrammes (kg) of customer orders on the weekends because I work a full-time job.
“There is no doubt that orders increase whenever Chinese New Year arrives. Customers typically place their orders a week before the festival; the most popular dish is beef bakkwa, which I typically prepare up to 15kg, and chicken, 10kg.
“In addition, in order to maintain the quality of bakkwa, I also do not hire any workers and do all the processes by myself. I also believe that when making bakkwa, the maker should not have any problems (or stress) because it is believed that the bakkwa won’t taste good or that the texture will be too soft or hard; as a result, I will recite selawat every time I make bakkwa,” said the IT and Graphics graduate, adding that bakkwa that has been opened can be placed in the refrigerator and it will last for two weeks.
When asked about his future plans, Azlandy said that he is currently focusing on opening a small shop in his home compound where he will be able to process and directly sell his halal bakkwa.
He added that he intends to rent a store in the future to make the process of applying for a halal certificate easier.
On another note, Azlandy, who is also an organiser and lecturer at UNIMAS Business School (UBS), said UBS provides a number of short courses and workshops, which usually take two days.
According to him, the programmes strive to apply lifelong learning by focusing on the youth, the asnaf (poor), single mothers, working people who want to upgrade themselves, and those who want to generate side income.
“For your information, we will be holding several short courses throughout the year. Beginning in April, individuals can sign up for the courses they are interested in (based on their time and financial limitations).
“In addition, we also welcome any company that wishes to sponsor an event as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts,” he said, adding that those interested in joining their short courses can contact UBS at 082-222111.
Meanwhile, fans of bakkwa or those who want to try Azlandy’s delicious halal bakkwa can get in touch with him at 013-8949309 or look for TS.CO La Barbacoa’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.
You can also buy his products for RM38 for 240g of beef bakkwa, RM72 for 480g of beef bakkwa, RM42 for 240g of chicken bakkwa, and RM74 for 480g of chicken bakkwa at Seni Kita on March 18 and 19 at Haus KCH in Jalan Pending.
So, what are you waiting for? Let’s try TS.CO La Barbacoa halal bakkwa now!
