By ANTONIO DELOS REYES
Meals play a significant role in any Filipino family. For most tight-knit relations, Sunday lunch, a chance to gather everyone, is one of the most important meals. Some families even go the extra mile and prepare a lavish feast for a picnic lunch.
This was one of the most memorable experiences for the Reyes clan, owners of condiment company Mama Sita, named after the clan matriarch Teresita “Sita” Reyes. Granddaughter Peach Reyes shared that as much as 120 relatives would meet every Sunday of the week — save for the first Sunday which is reserved for individual families, to enjoy a sumptuous spread and mingle with relatives.
This is just one story and for Mama Sita, each person has a story about food and family, leading to the creation of the Mama Sita Foundation’s MgaKwentongPagkain. To celebrate the project’s 10th year, Mama Sita Foundation hosted a mango-picking session and lunch for participants to create their own food memory.
Upon arriving at the mango farm in Mexico, Pampanga, guests were treated to snacks such as steamed corn and saba washed down with juice from freshly-picked buko. Energized and ready, the participants were led to a section of the farm where they could pick their mangoes. Farm owner Elmer David then taught the guests on how mango trees are cultivated and harvested. This was followed by an hour where guests were free to pick their share of mangoes using their hands and picking tools.
The mango harvesting experience was reminiscent of the childhood of Alvin Reyes Lim, another grandchild of Mama Sita. He recalled that when he was a kid, his grandmother would take the families on trips like these. The recent event also helps remind guests about the importance of heritage and ingredients — the driving force for the MgaKwentongPagkain project
After the mango picking, guests then went to Angeles, Pampanga to have lunch at Chef Sau Del Rosario’s 25 Seeds Restaurant. They were greeted with a sumptuous meal of Filipino favorites prepared using Mama Sita food mixes and condiments.
The pako salad with mangoes, eggplants and salted egg was tossed with Mama Sita Vinaigrette while the okoy was dipped in your choice of Mama Sita vinegar. The Sinigang na Sugpo’s base was from the Guava and Batuan paste for a sour soup with a hint of fruity sweetness. Meanwhile, the seafood Kare Kare was rich and decadent, the sauce redolent with the scent of peanuts.
This was followed by a selection of gilled items, from liempo, tilapia, hito and chicken as well as Chef Sau’s sisig paella using Mama Sita Sisig sauce. To end the meal, guests enjoyed fresh fruits, tiboktibok, and Chef Sau’s signature VukoFye — his elevated take on the classic buko pie.
The Mama Sita Foundation’s initiatives aim to perpetuate the legacy of Mama Sita, by bringing people closer to appreciating our foodways and those who keep them alive, just as Mama Sita did in her lifetime and the excursion served as a reminder that the best food memories are made when good food made from good ingredients are enjoy with even better company.
