Kultura Highlights: Filipino Food for Thought with IanKewks
To mark the beginning of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, we look at the journey of Filipino-Canadian content creator who expresses creativity and connects with culture through food.
If anything has flown by faster, it has to be April. April is considered Filipino Food Month - a month-long celebration of the rich deliciousness of Filipino cuisine (which is definitely not long enough to celebrate its beauty and diversity). To me, Filipino food is one of the things that have allowed me to remain connected with my roots as a Filipina: from eating longsilog for breakfast before school, to whole pig cookouts during birthday and holiday celebrations, to actually learning Filipino recipes and its history, I consider that connection as what makes me still Filipino today.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Ian Rivero, a Filipino-Canadian content creator and home cook behind the handle IanKewks (on Instagram and TikTok). What began as “silly cooking videos” shared with close friends during the peak of the pandemic in March 2020, grew a platform that expanded beyond social media into a popular blog that shares tutorials and recipes of classic and cult-favorite dishes – from popular takeout food to the national dishes of the Philippines. After seeing several of his tutorials on some of my favorite Filipino dishes like champorrado, bicol express, and taho, I had to speak to him and learn how his identity impacts his work.
See also a similar profile of fellow content creator and homecook, Rachel Lucero…
What inspired you to make content on food?
My parents were the number one influence of why I love food today. I’ve always been surrounded by food. As a Filipino, a large number of family gatherings and parties revolved around potluck celebrations. My parents would oftentimes be in the kitchen preparing large dishes to be served for everyone later that night. As I grew older, I naturally began to learn their recipes, and figured out ways to make those recipes my own. I then saw a niche to be filled on the creator space for Filipino food content creators, and I thought, what better way to showcase my love for Filipino food than by posting it for everyone to see on the internet?
How has your journey been as a content creator and what kind of challenges have you faced?
A challenge I definitely faced when creating content was standardizing my parents’ recipes down to exact measurements. The reality is, most of our parents probably never measured their food, and only through experience and multiple trials have they mastered the art of “eyeballing” their recipes to the point where measuring became obsolete. As a result, I had to rely on intuition and constantly asked my parents for their approval if the dish tasted right. Only then could I convert those recipes into relative measurements that other people can use to recreate. It’s challenging, as it contains a lot of back-and-forth; but so incredibly worth it in the end.
Why is food so important to you?
Food has become such a huge part of my life in a way that allowed me to reconnect with my roots and culture. Even when being far away from the motherland, I feel I can at least appreciate all of the accumulations of my ancestor’s works passed down through generations via all the recipes taught to me by my parents.
Food is ultimately my outlet for creativity and a way for me to decompress from everyday life and work. I’d willingly be in the kitchen cooking for hours if that meant I get to enjoy a tasty homemade meal in the end. I cook for myself as a form of self-care, and especially for others to show my appreciation and gratitude towards them. It’s grown to become my form of love language.
What is your favorite Filipino dish – to cook or to eat?
My favorite Filipino dish to cook and eat would probably be Kare Kare. I haven't exactly mastered how to make the dish yet, but it's grown to become something I've enjoyed eating and cooking up. I used to dislike it as a kid but, it like with most foods, I grew to love the taste and intricacy of the dish. My dad taught me how to make his version just recently, which involved braising the oxtails until tender for about 3 hours, and then finally letting it simmer in a rich peanut sauce for an additional hour. His version is absolutely phenomenal and I'd love to share it with my audience someday once I perfect it!
Where do you see yourself in the future?
I’m very go-with-the-flow, and wherever this content creation journey takes me, I’ll go. My original goal has always been to showcase Filipino food to those who are unfamiliar, and I feel that I’m definitely making strides to making that happen. There is so much more that the Philippines has to offer, and I’d love to share that beauty and diversity with everyone.
The beauty of food is that, to reiterate, it is the key that access us to culture. Food, its flavors, and its origins can reveal a lot about a country, its culture, and its history. Filipino food, for example, has many influences from China, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Spain and opens a window to the journey behind what makes the Philippines the nation it is today. To me, the Filipino food I enjoy today represents resilience – that, despite the indoctrination from the colonizers, we’ve taken what they influenced us with and reclaimed it as ours. Kind of like how Ian made chicken adobo birria tacos where he took a traditional Mexican recipe and infused it with a famous Filipino recipe, adobo. What about you? What does Filipino food mean to you?
Check out Ian’s blog, Instagram, and TikTok to learn some delicious recipes!
*May 6, 2024: This piece was updated to include another response to a question.
In more news…
If you’re in New York City, check out Pacita Abad’s new exhibition running through September 2, 2024. Pacita Abad (1946–2004) is a Filipina artist with a career spanning over three decades. It is the first retrospective exhibition of the artist that features 50 works, most of which have never been seen in public in the U.S. Read more here.
Where: Museum of Modern Art (MoMA PS1)
22-25 Jackson Avenue
Long Island City, QueensWhen: hours are
Sun, Mon, Thu, Fri, 12–6 p.m.
Sat, 12–8 p.m.
Closed Tue and WedCost: Adults - $10
Students - $5
New York residents, children 16 and under, and MoMA members - Free
Also for New Yorkers, Hell’s Kitchen is a new Broadway show created and written by Grammy-award winning artist, Alicia Keys. The cast and ensemble includes a Broadway debut of, Raechelle Manalo, a Filipina-American dancer who is the Assistant Dance captain!
Get more info on tickets and the rest of the ensemble on the website.