“A way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”

This old saying was proven true by Filipino-American food enthusiasts who use food to teach and promote their culture and heritage during the Lamon: First Zero Waste Filipinx Food and Wine Summit at the Southeast Community Center in San Francisco.

The event was led and organized by Chef Yana Gilbuena, who started the SALO Series that talks about the rich Filipino food culture and shares it to the world. She was known to organize pop-up kamayan dinners in over 50 states.

The event was attended, not only by several Fil-Am food and wine experts and enthusiasts from the Bay Area and across the country, but also book publishers and stores, mental health and therapy centers, and environment groups and organizations.

“Build a movement to save our democracy…collectivity is important. We have to learn who we are together,” Cynthia Bonta, an activist who helped organize people for the United Farm Workers, said in her opening speech.

“Nothing can be done alone. We should look back together,” she added.

Aside from the marketplace, there were also workshops, cooking demonstrations, mental health

forums, story telling sessions, zero-waste speeches and talks, and education panel discussions.

Race to zero waste

Race to Zero Waste started #ZeroWasteMonth. The founder, Teresa Bradley, honored the people of Ramaytush Ohlone by encouraging the attendees to take care of the environment and utilize reusables to attain zero waste.

“Zero waste is a journey,” Bradley said, motivating people to start their zero waste journey in

their own simple ways. 

She ended her speech stating, “If we keep doing this and multiply it out, we will see

change.”

A gastronomic delight!

One of the sessions mediated by an award winning U.S. historian, James Zarsadiaz, included a panel session that discussed food and education, featuring food experts and enthusiasts known for their contribution in the field.

Chef Jay-Ar Pugao, Stanford University Dining’s first ‘Vegan and Plant Forward’ Sous Chef, talked about the beginning of his journey in cooking vegan food after his mother had

a heart attack. He also discussed how his mother influenced his cooking by using “mock chicken” in cooking Afritada. A dish that “tasted like home”, according to him.

Chef Pugao also narrated how his choice of plant and vegan-based cooking made people question his identity as a Filipino-American.

“People [are] telling me I am not Filipino enough because I am using plant-based ingredients,” he said. “I feel like I was battling uphill around our own culture… it was a lot of self-deprecation that we are experiencing.”

Chef Pugao made it a goal to create a space for plant-based ingredients in the food industry, encouraging people to give more exposure to plant-based eating, allowing it to flourish.

“The more that we [exhibit] creativity, the more people…would [be willing to] accept it,” he stated. 

Robyn Rodriguez, an author and professor, joined in the discussion and supported Chef Pugao’s statements, saying that, “meeting the demand of the food culture would require [knowing] its relation to the land [where it was produced].”

She pointed out the importance of ecological justice and how people haven’t exerted much effort in replenishing the Earth. 

“Mother Nature… can be a hard teacher,” Rodriguez said.

Talking about food in schools and education, Rodriguez said that growing up, there were a lot of people who felt “unbelonging” smelling the baon from their lunch containers.

“[I wonder] what it feels like to come home [to food] … while eating fried eggplant… without the feeling of shame,” Rodriguez said.

Coach Carolyn Sideco of Coaching Kapwa also narrated her experiences after getting featured in the Netflix Series, “You Are a What You Eat: A Twin Experiment” with her twin sister.

“I am reliant on [the] community for my health and food,” she stated.

As a foodie, coach Sideco gave a fresh perspective and highlighted the importance of collaborating, not just in the Filipino communities, but also all of the communities.

Coach Sideco also shared how she didn’t learn how to cook as the kitchen is her mother’s way of reconnecting with her land, culture, and family–by cooking Filipino dishes. Growing up her mother’s cooking helped shape her identity, her to be more resourceful. She also believed that people must look through indigenous practice and learn how to integrate what we have.

“My vegan context is black and brown,” she said.

When asked what they think Gen Zs and Gen Alphas can do to continue the efforts that they started, Chef Pugao encouraged them to eat seasonally and taste the food that brings them home.

He even referred to food as a “time traveler” that brings people close to where their heart is. 

Meanwhile, coach Sideco urged the new generation to do research and innovate in food. 

“When you know better, you can do better,” she said at the end of the discussion.