Filipino Food Magic Celebrates Scientist Maria Orosa at Huntington's Kitchen Garden

Second Sundays event featured Filipino food tasting, hands-on planting, and expert talks on Orosa's legacy.

Apr. 14, 2026 at 4:03pm

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A high-contrast, silkscreen-style illustration featuring a grid of brightly colored, stylized banana ketchup bottles in neon pink, orange, and yellow, conceptually representing the iconic Filipino condiment and the legacy of its inventor.A vibrant celebration of Filipino food culture and the pioneering work of scientist Maria Orosa, whose inventions like banana ketchup have become beloved staples.San Marino Today

The Huntington Library in San Marino, California hosted a special Second Sundays event called "Filipino Food Magic" that celebrated the life and work of Filipino food scientist Maria Ylagan Orosa. The event featured Filipino food tastings, a hands-on planting activity, conversations with experts, and children's book readings about Orosa's pioneering inventions and humanitarian efforts.

Why it matters

Maria Orosa was a trailblazing Filipino scientist and inventor whose work had a major impact on food science and technology, particularly in the Philippines. The Second Sundays event aimed to bring Orosa's remarkable achievements to a wider audience and connect her legacy to The Huntington's own kitchen garden and educational programming.

The details

The Second Sundays event included a Filipino food tasting with lumpia (spring rolls), banana ketchup, banana mousse, and hibiscus iced tea. Attendees also had the chance to plant garlic or onions in small pots to take home. Conversations with experts like historian Catherine Ceniza Choy, Assistant Director of Research Shannon McHugh, and Head Gardener Carola Di Poi provided deeper insights into Orosa's life and work, including her inventions of nutrition-rich food powders, the palayok oven, and the iconic banana ketchup. A children's book reading and a display of Filipino fruits, vegetables, and books rounded out the educational and celebratory activities.

  • The Second Sundays: Filipino Food Magic event took place on April 12, 2026.
  • Catherine Ceniza Choy has been the Los Angeles Times Distinguished Fellow at The Huntington since September 2025.

The players

Maria Ylagan Orosa

A Filipino scientist, inventor, and humanitarian who made significant contributions to food science and technology, including the invention of banana ketchup.

Catherine Ceniza Choy

A historian, author, and professor of ethnic studies at UC Berkeley who is researching and writing a biography of Maria Ylagan Orosa.

Shannon McHugh

The Assistant Director of Research at The Huntington Library.

Carola Di Poi

The Head Gardener of The Huntington's Kitchen Garden and James P. Folsom Experimental Ranch Garden.

The Huntington Library

A collections-based research and educational institution in San Marino, California that hosted the Second Sundays: Filipino Food Magic event.

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What they’re saying

“Since September 2025 when I started my tenure at The Huntington as the 2025-2026 Los Angeles Times Distinguished Fellow, I've been working collaboratively with many people at The Huntington, and primarily the following individuals who I like to call 'The Filipino Food Magic Team'.”

— Catherine Ceniza Choy, Historian, Author, and Professor of Ethnic Studies at UC Berkeley

“Orosa's achievements in food science and technology (for example, her inventions of nutrition-rich powders called 'magic food' saved many American and Filipino prisoners-of-war during WWII; the palayók oven, which enabled Filipinos to cook without electricity; and the iconic Filipino sauce, banana ketchup) and her humanitarian ethos that emphasized science for the common good are admirable. And they deserve our attention.”

— Catherine Ceniza Choy, Historian, Author, and Professor of Ethnic Studies at UC Berkeley

“Of those 2,000 about 150 every year have come by a competitive application process and we fund them to live here for a number of months, and about six of those are such talented researchers that we don't ask them to apply, we just beg them to come work with us — and Cathy is one of those people.”

— Shannon McHugh, Assistant Director of Research at The Huntington Library

What’s next

Catherine Ceniza Choy plans to finish writing a biography of Maria Ylagan Orosa within the next one to two years.

The takeaway

The Second Sundays: Filipino Food Magic event at The Huntington Library celebrated the remarkable life and pioneering work of Filipino food scientist Maria Ylagan Orosa, whose inventions and humanitarian efforts had a lasting impact on food science and technology, particularly in the Philippines.