A taste of home in the US

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I’m feeling a little sentimental after reading a piece on the July 8 issue of MDWK magazine about Sammy Lorenzana, a pioneer in the Filipino food industry in the US.

The younger generation of Fil-Ams may not even be aware that we haven’t always had full access to Philippine-made goods here in America.

Thanks to our pioneers, we have this luxury of craving for a Pinoy delicacy and actually being able to consume it, on the same hour or day!

I remember a time when only the Lorenzana store chains carried Pinoy groceries. With the stores being so few and far between, it was always frustrating to have to look for equivalents at mainstream supermarkets like Ralphs or Vons.

Naalala ko pa noong panahon when everyone had to wait for a padala from back home to be able to get their hands on their favorites grocery items such as bagoong, hopia, patis, and even beauty products like Eskinol, etc. Talagang sabik na sabik ako dati na makatanggap ng padala galing sa amin!

That’s why I really appreciate the difference between how it used to be and how it is now--with giant supermarkets like Island Pacific and Seafood City offering us these wide array of Pinoy foods we know and love!

Thanks to Seafood City and Island Pacific, we can have a slice of the Philippines right in our neighborhoods.

Shopping at these supermarkets is like a homecoming experience. As soon as you enter the supermarket complex, you can already smell the unmistakable aroma and hear cheerful sounds that are uniquely Pinoy.

The fresh fare available at Island Pacific and Seafood City are simply divine--seafood, poultry, chorizos, exotic vegetables, mga kakanin, sampaloc, and so much more. If we need ingredients to cook ginatan, we only need to go to a Seafood City or an Island Pacific and we can get everything in one stop.

It’s a big source of pride for me to be able to take my non-Filipino or non-Asian friends to these supermarkets. The owners have made the amenities so impressive that they’re now comparable to Ralphs, Vons or Albertson’s.

I applaud the owners of these giant supermarkets for providing quality products and service to their US consumers. When I say consumers, it’s really across the board, not only Filipinos because everyday, I now see non-Asians shop at Island Pacific or Seafood City like they have no desire to go anywhere else. They feel right at home.

The everyday values they offer is really exceptional: Fresh na, mura pa.

In this situation, there’s one clear winner: Everyone! We Pinoys win because we can fulfill our delicate food cravings and all the other non-Filipino patrons also get their exotic food trip fix!

I’ve had the privilege to be able to set up salons at both Seafood City and Island Pacific complexes.

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