Dedicated to uncovering the histories and culture behind Filipino dishes, Rachel Lucero invites fellow Filipino-Americans to reconnect with their Philippine heritage through food
A second-generation Filipino immigrant born and raised in the US’s Pacific Northwest, Rachel Lucero felt out of touch with her Philippine heritage for most of her childhood. “The town I grew up in was predominantly white American, and I had very few Filipino classmates,” she recalls. “I didn’t know very much about the history of the Philippines, so I decided to start The Sago Show to explore Filipino history through food.”
Now on its fourth season, the series is Lucero’s platform for exploring Filipino recipes as well as the culture and histories behind them. “In each episode of The Sago Show,” she explains, “I cook a different dish while discussing events in Filipino history—for example, in my episode about buko pie, I talked about the influence of American educators in the Philippines in the early 1900s; in my episode about sinigang na salmon, I talked about migrant Filipino workers living in Alaska. I also made my own banana ketchup while talking about the amazing and influential Maria Orosa.”
But why reconnect with Filipino history through food? The host explains: “I've always loved food, and I thought that it would be an interesting way to teach other Filipino-Americans about histories that we wouldn’t have learned about while growing up in the American education system.” Plus, the fact that she gets to indulge in the comforting, vibrant flavours of her upbringing surely doesn’t hurt, either.
“Through creating my show, I’ve found many other Filipinos living abroad that had similar experiences to my own, and like me, they had this yearning to learn more,” she shares earnestly. Thankfully, Lucero does get to voyage back to the Philippines every so often—find out what and where she likes to eat when she returns, below:
See also: The Culinary Capitals of the Philippines: Food Writer Ige Ramos’ Guide to Cavite
