by Dean Kallas, Grocery Category Manager
Dean: Where did you grow up?
Madame Chu: “I was born and raised in Singapore. It is a tiny island by the peninsula of Malaysia.”
When did you move to Wisconsin?
“I moved to Wisconsin in 1999. I came here to study Human Factors/Usability Engineering under Professor Michael Smith at UW-Madison. He has since retired.”
How did you get interested in cooking?
“I have been interested in cooking since a very young age. I remembered cooking with my maternal grandmother. She taught me to cook the first dish…Maggie Ramen Noodles. Bring the water to boil, add the noodles then open the seasoning packet. It was gourmet right there for a six-year-old. The next exciting dish was egg fried rice. I remembered at age 10, when school was out for two months in the summer, my parents were working and being the oldest sibling, I had to cook for my brother and sister. Knowing how to cook Maggie Noodles and egg fried rice sure came in handy. In Singapore, we have home economics classes where we learn to sew and cook. I had a very good teacher who taught us baking and cooking. That was also another step into different ways to cook and not just stir-fry.
“At a young age, my grandmother would let me stand next to her as she made complex and time-consuming Peranakan dishes such as Laksa, Tamarind Assam Fish, different versions of Sambal and Nyonya Pickles. Many Peranakan dishes demand patience and time. This was the grandmother who painstakingly wrote down her recipes for my mom to pass down to us.
“My maternal grandmother’s cuisine is Thai- and Malay-based, meaning she uses a lot of lemongrass, galangal, turmeric and, chili padi. My paternal grandmother’s cuisine is Cantonese-based, meaning no chili but lots of vegetables, tofu, plum, and poached chickens. Both grandparents are the reasons for my passion for cooking.”
How would you best describe the style of food you make to someone who has not had one of your sauces before?
“Madame Chu Sambal Nyonya is a deep red chili paste that carries a unique and assertive heat. It is cooked slowly using traditional methods which add a unique caramelized and earthy flavor to the heat of the peppers. Sambal Nyonya complements eggs, rice, and noodle dishes, or any savory dish that benefits from some added heat.
“The Ginger Garlic is a flavor punch. Every spoonful of this Ginger Garlic Sauce is filled with freshness that stands up on its own as a condiment. It also pairs well with noodles, seafood, chicken, vegetables, and different stir-fry dishes. I love to add them to seasonal vegetables—and of course—tofu or salmon.
“The Satay Peanut Nyonya is like a dense pesto that balances the heat of the peppers and the richness of peanuts. A total of 14 ingredients come together to offer a sweet, hot, and delicious flavor. This pesto goes well with grilled chicken, fish, or tofu. Cook the sauce over the stove with coconut milk for a creamier taste or any broth of choice. The Satay Peanut Nyonya is a good base for many noodle dishes.”
Who is your biggest influence?
“My maternal grandmother was my biggest influence and my champion who cheered me on.”
As an immigrant, what kinds of challenges have you faced in the U.S.?
“I will use my experience to answer this question. I was vending at an event recently in Madison. I was asked why I think it was necessary to start this business and for people in Madison to buy my products. I was taken aback by the question. The only response I gave was…Madame Chu condiments represent the flavor of Southeast Asia like Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. They are unique and it would cost friends from Madison a lot more money to fly to Southeast Asia just to taste or buy these condiments. It is less expensive to buy for a local producer from that region of countries and a chance to interact with the maker herself. Challenges are many but opportunities are boundless…like getting into the Willy Street Co-op’s family. That alone is a big score, a blessing in my view.”
What is the best part of your work?
“The best part of my work is meeting old friends and making new friends when we sample the condiments. The best part is knowing people enjoy our cuisine and being able to share our heritage and culture through food.”
What are your favorite ingredients to work with and why?
“I love to work with seasonal vegetables. This is because when the vegetable is in season they are absolutely delicious, flavorful, and brilliant in colors. I love to work with tofu because it does not need to be blended. In fact, it is the most adaptable food to cook with.”
When did you start making your sauces? What was the inspiration behind them?
“We started making the sauces at home and sharing them with friends. When my mom passed on, all I wanted was her cookbooks. I told my siblings they could keep her jade, gold jewelry, and sales of real estate and personal properties. All I wanted was her cookbooks. My husband and I hauled her cookbooks back to Wisconsin. As we were browsing her cookbooks, old brownish papers fell off the pages. They were my grandmother’s handwritten recipes. Some were from my aunts as well. I would interpret the quantity to my husband and he would take the time to prepare the dishes. One of them was her peanut sauce. It was so delicious that we also made a different version of sambal. Some sambal asked for shrimp paste, some asked for fish sauce, while others just fresh ground chili.
“The sum of Madame Chu's inspiration is authenticity, honor, endearment, and heritage. I loved growing up in Singapore. I love my Peranakan culture. I want to share authentic recipes and continue to preserve my heritage even though I am oceans away from that tiny island…Singapore. I love my grandmothers. I like to honor them through the brand Madame Chu. Madame for my maternal and Chu for my paternal grandmothers.”
Which of all your creations are you most proud of?
“This is a difficult question. It is like asking me to choose who my favorite child is. I am proud of the three condiments. Each condiment is unique and different. Sambal is spicy, Ginger Garlic is savory, and the Satay Peanut Nyonya is mildly spicy. What I can say is, Ginger Garlic is our best seller. “
What motivates you to keep creating?
“The love and passion for food motives me to keep creating. I enjoyed sharing and talking about Peranakan culture. I like to recreate food from Singapore that is influenced by Chinese, Malay, Indian, and British cuisine. We live in times where global food access is no longer long-distance traveling in ship containers. We are usually a click away from experimenting with new flavors and cuisine. We have YouTube, TikTok, Reels, and many other platforms such as Food Network, podcasts, etc. Being able to tap into global resources online helps keep me motivated to preserve old time cooking techniques and pass the knowledge to next generations with passion for cooking.”
Do you have any other hobbies or interests?
“My hobby is to create new recipes and dishes. We participated in SoupOn! with Dane Buy Local, and I love to create and recreate soup recipes. Some of the interesting soups I shared with clients are Herbal Chicken Soup, Kimchi Soup, Tom Yum Soup and Ayam Soto (Spicy Chicken) Soup that is Indonesian-based.
Interests would be to visit as many National Parks and monuments as I am able now. How about hoarding? I love cookbooks and I have not cooked a dish from all my cookbooks collection. My cooking is what I learned from grandma, not from cookbooks. Yet, I love to collect cookbooks.”
Do you have any new products in development?
“Yes, we have several products in development. There is the Green Sambal which is savory; Green Chili Pickles infused in Wisconsin Maple Syrup; ‘meat’ marinade for tofu or meat; Nyonya Pickles that are sweet and spicy; along with many more. Currently, we are also working on a black garlic sauce recipe.”