Mrs. COM is one of the few women who have cooked in a chifa. The Chinese tradition allows men but not women. Com Ñet was born in Peru, on July 27, 1934, but went to China when she was two years old. She lived in Po Jeu (Canton) with her family, farmers who sold their products in the city. She returned to Peru when she was 20, because she was formally proposed for Com Tack On, a 40 years old man who worked with her uncle in an import firm, near the Congress Square.
Ñet Lam knew “everyday cooking: picking, how to make stews and soups, just a few things”. Relatives arriving from China or from Peru’s provinces and also customers visited her husband’s firm the place where they also lived. Following Chinese tradition, there was a male cook at the premises. “We were always many people. There were two tables in the dining room, for lunch and for dinner. The first cook, Mr.Chang was very bad tempered. Then Mr.Ching another professional cook, came. Both taught me the secrets of steam cooking and meat braising, and other cooking techniques. As a housewife, I did my best to help. However, I learned more from Cam Sak Yun, one of my husband’s relatives and business partner, who was a gourmet and cooked for special occasions. From him I learned how to prepare banquets”.
With time, Mrs. Com gained experience and matured, and in 1975, she opened her own chifa, Siu Lan, in Jiron Carabaya. She did all the organization herself, including menus: she was also directly responsible for the cooking.
Some people were shocked to see a woman in charge of the kitchen at a Chinese restaurant, something unusual for Orientals. However, Mrs. Com was determined and she had done it at her husband’s firm. She also had style and charm, and could prepare banquets, thanks to Cam Sak Yun, the master. There was a great demand for her Kau Yuc (pork with yucca) and Ñon Yui (minced fish reshaped back into its skin, boneless and well seasoned).
The adventure lasted four years. Work was hard and grandchildren, her family is large, and there are also the friends. All of them agree in saying that Mrs. Natalia is a great connoisseur of Chinese cook. Her pork with Trotters Molasses is always a favorite dish. She delights in this, but because of “those things of life, I cannot eat it anymore. Now I prefer steamed fish and sauté vegetables”.
Desserts Recipes Vegetables Recipes The Utensils Ingredients Ley Beng Lung Natalia Com Net Lam
