{
  "id": 17072,
  "title": "She left Singapore unable to cook. Now her rempah is reaching kitchens across Britain",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/01/she-left-singapore-unable-to-cook-now-her-rempah-is-reaching-kitchens",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-01T21:58:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Channel News Asia",
    "slug": "channel-news-asia",
    "url": "https://www.channelnewsasia.com/people/singaporean-shu-han-lee-rempah-london-britain-6287491"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Shu Han Lee, a Singaporean woman who once struggled with cooking, has now become a prominent figure in the British culinary scene. In 2008, at the age of 18, she left her home country to pursue a degree in graphic design at Central Saint Martins in London. However, she soon discovered that she had no culinary skills. Despite this, her mother insisted that she bring a small rice cooker from Singapore, which proved to be a crucial lesson.\n\nBurnt rice marked the beginning of Lee's journey into cooking Singaporean cuisine, a cuisine that she had taken for granted until that point. Her initial attempts were far from perfect, but she persevered, learning to cook and eventually mastering the art of making rempah, a staple in Singaporean cooking. She eventually wrote two cookbooks, Chicken and Rice in 2016 and Agak Agak in 2024, and founded Rempapa Spice Co, a company that now stocks rempah, sambal, and coconut milk in independent grocers, Whole Foods, and Selfridges’ Oxford Street store.\n\nLee's story is one of determination and adaptation. Initially, she struggled to find Singaporean ingredients in London, often traveling across the city to source fresh lemongrass. Her efforts were not without humor, as she still struggled with cooking even the simplest of dishes. However, she persisted, eventually teaching herself to cook Singaporean dishes from scratch.\n\nHer journey led her to host supper clubs, write cookbooks, and establish Rempapa Spice Co. The company's products, including the aromatic spice pastes and coconut milk, are now stocked in various high-end retailers across Britain. Lee's story is a testament to her resilience and passion for her heritage, even when it meant leaving everything behind to build a life in a foreign country.",
  "summary": "What began with homesickness and self-taught cooking in London grew into Rempapa Spice Co, two cookbooks and a mission to make rempah more familiar in Britain.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}