Bak Kut Teh is a Chinese herbal soup dish developed along Singapore River soon after Sir Stamford Raffles found Singapore in 1819. Since Sir Raffles declared Singapore as a free port, many traders came to Singapore and Singapore River became very busy.  Many ports, or so called collies, were working and residing along the River.  One of their popular dishes was Bak Ku Teh which was reported to supplement the meagre diet and as a tonic to boost their health