Mango-picking in Mexico, Pampanga honors the memory of Teresita Reyes, pioneer of Filipino sauces and spice mixes

Early this month in celebration of the Mama Sita Foundation’s Mga Kuwentong Pagkain 10th anniversary was a harvest picnic was held in a mango farm in Mexico, Pampanga.

Served as a way to relive and experience Teresita “Mama Sita” Reyes’ connection and passion for food, were snacks of grilled corn, saba, and buko set underneath a giant mango tree.

Mama Sita would often invite her family to picnics all over the Philippines, where she would simply set down a place for them to eat meals under a tree while picking fruits and knowing which ones were ready for harvest. The simplicity of the picnics made them memorable and unique to her family, shaped by the same experiences Mama Sita had growing up.

The anniversary guests left for Pampanga on a rainy morning, and arrived at the farm within the ideal period when mangoes could be harvested. Kapitan Elmer David, the owner of the farm, taught them how the trees should be planted, maintained, and harvested. Afterward, the party went off to pick mangoes off the trees, using a combination of their hands and a sungkit, a tool attached to a long pole in order to reach the mangoes on the higher brances.

Everyone was cheery during the harvest and the conversations were endless as they went from tree to tree, looking for mangoes to pick. Some were even able to harvest clusters of mangoes attached to a single branch. The happy atmosphere continued on, as groups tried to guess the total weight of their harvests.

Guests then proceeded to 25 Seeds by Cafe Fleur for lunch, curated by Chef Sau Del Rosario. The meal was inspired by the simplicity of the picnic, featuring barbecued dishes, using Mama Sita’s Barbecue Marinade, seafood sinigang using Mama Sita’s Guava Mix and Batuan Paste, sisig paella with Mama Sita’s Sisig Sauce, Chef Sau’s seafood kare-kare with Mama Sita’s kare-kare sauce, and many other local dishes.

While dining, the picnicgoers were able to talk with Peach Reyes and Alvin Lim, the grandchildren of Mama Sita, on their experiences during their picnics, as well as how these experiences related to their passion and love for food. Despite the weather, the party was able to partake of the simple joys that Mama Sita enjoyed with friends and family through the food she served and her love for simple picnics.