A Life
Cooked with Love
From a young girl who survived hardship, to a grandmother who fed generations – this is the story of Madam Cecilia 李菜花.
Nyonya • Rempah • Heritage
Her story begins
Madam Cecilia 李菜花 was born in 1944, the eldest of 10 children in a humble Peranakan family in Singapore.
Life was not easy. During the Japanese Occupation, hunger was a constant companion.
At just 15, she made the brave decision to leave school and work, so her younger siblings could eat.
She gave up her future, so they could have theirs.
She turned cooking into a language of love,
where every dish told a story.
and every meal said. "i care for you."