#93. Thinking Big About Culinary Indigenization, Identity Work, and Embracing Our Roots — Rachel Lucero

Published: Feb. 21, 2022, 10 a.m.

“I do think like it's so important for us to do this identity work because we have to move to the next phase, which is how do we make things better for our own communities? And how do we make things better for our homelands as well? So in my videos, I try to push the viewer on that. And to, you know, be keeping current with a situation in the Philippines and to not just think about the identity journey ending with our self, but making a better a better place for our future generations, for our country too.” - Rachel Lucero

Welcome back to another episode of Discover More.

This week, we continue our conversation with Rachel Lucero.

She is the creator & host of The Sago Show—a Filipino food show that explores history, culture, and identity through Filipino food recipes.

Rachel is a Filipino-American and, as a former Teach For America corps member, she shares a strong passion for education and social justice, especially for those who are marginalized and underserved.

Last week, we dropped episode #92, part 1 of the interview, where Rachel shared about her personal upbringing and the genesis of the Sago Show.

This week, we dive into some of the specifics of Filipino cuisine and some of Rachel’s lessons learned from her food journey. She shares the concept of indigenization, a beautiful framework to understand the evolution of cultural cuisine and adoption.

We also discuss the complexities of fusion cuisine, the importance of taking action, and the process of overcoming perfectionist tendencies.

We learned so much in this episode and hope you enjoy this conversation with Rachel Lucero.


Show Notes:

Rachel’s Instagram: https://instagram.com/sagoshow?utm_medium=copy_link

The Sago Show Website: https://www.sagoshow.com/

As Features on TASTE: https://tastecooking.com/rachel-lucero-filipino-food-has-a-new-spokeswoman/

"Tikim: Essays on Philippine Food and Culture" by Doreen Fernandez

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