Inventor of Magic Food: The Life and Legacy of Filipina Food Scientist Maria Ylagan Orosa
In the first half of the 20th century, humanitarian and war heroine Maria Ylagan Orosa was a trailblazing food scientist educated in the Philippines and the United States. She is most famous for inventing the beloved Filipino condiment, banana ketchup, but her creativity extended to less well-known innovations. Legend has it that Orosa’s Soyalac and darak cookies were smuggled into prisoner-of-war camps in the Philippines during World War II. Nicknamed “magic food,” they saved many Filipino and American lives from malnutrition. Orosa’s life history illuminates the transpacific contours of Filipino and American life in the early 20th century, and her culinary legacy continues to bind the Philippines and the US today.
This event is the Los Angeles Times Distinguished Fellow Lecture and is part of The Huntington Research 2025-2026 "Active in the Archive" lecture series.
Know before you go
- A pre-lecture reception will take place in front of the lecture hall at the Rose Hills Foundation Garden Court at 5:45 p.m.
- Doors to the lecture hall will open at 6 p.m.
- If you are visiting the gardens during the day and plan to stay for the lecture, please note that all guests must clear the grounds when The Huntington closes at 5 p.m.
Image credit: People and activities, Collection of photographic postcards and travel ephemera of the Philippines, approximately 1900-1950. | The Huntington