In 1949, a young Chinese woman arrived in Taiwan, fleeing from the chaos of war on the mainland. At the time, Fu Pei-mei had no idea how to cook. Yet as a young housewife she taught herself and launched a career as a television instructor that would last four decades, entrancing millions of viewers who grew up watching her prepare thousands of delectable dishes with skill and verve. As her fame grew, she travelled beyond the borders of Taiwan, teaching the rest of the world how to cook Chinese food. Woven into this lively account of Fu’s life and times are Michelle King’s own family stories, personal reflections and contemporary oral history, raising questions about food, gender, diaspora and cultural identity. Chop Fry Watch Learn is a revelatory work, a rich banquet of past and present tastes that will resonate deeply for all of us looking for our histories in the kitchen.
