Five Ways to Celebrate Filipino American History Month Through Food

October marks Filipino American History Month! Commemorating the first Filipinos to arrive in California’s Morro Bay, this is an opportunity to celebrate and honor the history and accomplishments of Filipino Americans. If food is a tangible snapshot of the world we live in, reflecting politics, history, and change, it’s hard not to turn to Filipino food as a way to celebrate the Fil-Am legacy.

There’s a saying that there are as many recipes of adobo — the Philippines’ de facto national dish, featuring a meat stewed in soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves and black peppercorns — as there are people who cook adobo. If this isn’t a testament to the diversity of Filipino Americans, I don’t know what is!

We’ve compiled a round-up of recent stories, videos, and events that celebrate Filipino culture — and, of course, Filipino food!

FOB Kitchen

Featured on this season of Check, Please! Bay Area, FOB Kitchen, helmed by chef Janice Dulce, brings Filipino favorites to the East Bay, serving classics like lumpia and lechon alongside new favorites like tofu and shroom adobo. Reclaiming a pejorative term meaning “fresh off the boat,” Dulce infuses Filipino classics with high energy in an inclusive and diverse space.

Ellis Creamery

Halo-Halo, Tagalog for “mixed,” typically features shaved ice, ube ice cream, sweet kidney beans, coconut jelly, and condensed milk. As a dessert, it’s perhaps symbolic of Filipino cuisine, which is arguably the most modern example of a far-reaching culture borne from fusion. But, at Ellis Creamery, a Filipino ice cream shop and bakery that sells halo-halo and ensaymadas out of the back of a gas station in Tracy, crushed meringue sets their version apart from the rest. It’s a great reminder: Some of NorCal’s most delicious things are hidden in plain sight.

All Things Ube: Bay Area Ube Festivals

You might be familiar with the bright purple hue of ube, which is essentially synonymous with Filipino desserts. Ube (and its earthy, vanilla-like flavor) has sparked a number of dedicated festivals across the Bay Area; while many of these take place in the spring and early summer, the featured vendors serve ube-inspired snacks all year round. From Yum Yams: A Celebration of All Things Ube, at Kapwa Gardens — the SoMa Pilipinas Filipino Cultural Heritage District’s new outdoor event space — to the candy-colored, all-things-ube Ube Festival at San Francisco’s District Six, there are multiple ways to honor this vibrant purple yam. Miss this year’s events? The organizers plan to keep these annual events, so keep an eye out for more information for 2023!

Lumpia Lands

No Filipino gathering is complete without lumpia, one of the most iconic and recognizable Filipino finger foods. Historically, these spring rolls were borne from Hokkien immigrants in the 17th century, and eventually, the Philippines made it their own. An August event at San Francisco’s District Six brought together featured vendors, entertainers, and, of course, hella lumpia. From traditional pork lumpia to vegetarian versions, there were more than enough options for any connoisseur of the Filipino egg rolls.

Abacá

The idea behind Abacá, a recent addition to Fisherman’s Wharf, is to carry forward with chef Francis Ang’s primary mission in life: to introduce lesser known, regionally specific Filipino dishes to Bay Area diners. Located inside the Kimpton Alton Hotel, Abacá offers an exciting, small plates–focused dinner menu from Ang and chef de cuisine Danica Aviles, as well as a panaderia serving Filipino breads and pastries during the morning and afternoon.

KQED Food Engagement Intern Josh Decolongon is a certified sommelier and holds the WSET Level 4 Diploma. Follow him on Instagram at @sommeligay.