ABS-CBN Global/TFC, El Pueblo Park Association Present “Sangkap: a Filipino Food History Experience”

First-of-a-kind foodie event this Saturday, February 29, to celebrate Philippine cuisine at the birthplace of Los Angeles

This Saturday, February 29, from 11am-5pm, the Philippines will represent at the El Pueblo Historical Monument – the birthplace of Los Angeles – with a first-of-its-kind event via SANGKAP Filipino Food History.

SANGKAP (which means “ingredient” in Tagalog) presents and celebrates the confluence of Spanish, Mexican, Chinese and other historic and cultural influences in a gastronomic experience of Filipino ingenuity.  The main offering of the event are food tastings from four prominent figures in the LA food scene: Discovery Channel’s “Prison Food” host Chef Johneric Concordia, Downtown LA’s rising star Chef Isa Fabro, restaurateur Gregory Berber of La Luz de Dia, a landmark restaurant that just celebrated 60 years on Olvera Street, and multi-awarded chef and owner of MAX and The Oinkster Andre Guerrero.

Among the exciting activities at SANGKAP will be a food history presentation by Prof. Susie Ling, a historian from Pasadena City College, which will be followed by a panel discussion.  The event will also feature live cultural performances, public art displays, interpretive sharing of Filipino and FilAm histories, and other family-friendly activities.

“Filipino food today as shaped by Philippine history consists of Malay matrix, into which melded and blended influences from China and India (through trade), Spain and America (through colonization), and more recently the rest of the world (through global cultural communication),” wrote the late food critic and author, Doreen G. Fernandez.  According to New York Times, other Asian cuisines have been part of the American landscape for decades, but only in recent years have Filipino dishes started gaining recognition outside immigrant communities.

Why at El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument? The location is near the site of the early Los Angeles pueblo or town where 44 settlers of Native American, African and European heritage journeyed more than 1,000 miles across the desert from present-day northern Mexico and established a farming community in September 1781. Since that time, Los Angeles has been under the flags of Spain, Mexico, and the United States and has grown into one of the world’s largest metropolitan areas. 

Today, as a department of the City of Los Angeles, El Pueblo is a living museum that continues to fulfill its unique role as the historic and symbolic heart of the city.

SANGKAP Filipino Food History is presented by ABS-CBN-TFC and El Pueblo Park Association. This is in partnership with The Parks Finest, Thunderbolt Bar, The Oinkster, La Luz Del Dia, and IsaMADE, with support from the Arts Management Program at Claremont Graduate University, and UCLA Asian American Studies Department.

VIP reception starts at 11:00am until 12:30pm.  The event opens to the public from 12:30pm-5:00pm.  For tasting tickets and more event info, visit: https://tinyurl.com/sangkap2020.