{"id":257495,"date":"2025-07-07T11:23:13","date_gmt":"2025-07-07T03:23:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/diplomatic-fuchsia-armadillo.46-250-226-234.cpanel.site\/abi-marquez-finds-her-voice-through-food-family-and-filipino-roots\/"},"modified":"2025-07-11T14:37:55","modified_gmt":"2025-07-11T06:37:55","slug":"abi-marquez-finds-her-voice-through-food-family-and-filipino-roots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/diplomatic-fuchsia-armadillo.46-250-226-234.cpanel.site\/?p=257495","title":{"rendered":"Abi Marquez Turns Her Upbringing Into A Celebration Of Filipino Food"},"content":{"rendered":"

Before the world knew her as the \u201cLumpia Queen,\u201d Abi Marquez was a little girl in Laguna, flipping between morning cartoons and cooking shows, a plate of chicken nuggets and rice in front of her. Even then, she knew exactly how she wanted her food served.<\/p>\n

\u201cI clearly remember getting upset over hot chicken nuggets being served with cold rice. My family would say, \u2018Mainit naman \u2019yung ulam!\u2019 and I\u2019d reply, \u2018Eh hindi naman sabaw \u2019yung ulam!\u2019\u201d she recalls with humor and detail that now carries over into the food content she shares with millions online.<\/p>\n

Abi\u2019s love for food wasn\u2019t born in a fine dining restaurant or culinary school\u2014it began at home. Her childhood in Laguna laid the groundwork for everything she is today: a curious cook, a confident creator, and a proud champion of Filipino food.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve loved food and cooking for as long as I can remember,\u201d she says. With parents who encouraged her to hang around the kitchen, a mother who set the culinary bar high, and early access to the internet at age six, Abi immersed herself in online cooking games and videos. \u201cI was hooked.\u201d<\/p>\n

What stands out in her story is not just talent but a kind of joyful purpose that began early. \u201cOne of my earliest \u2018hosting\u2019 memories was making orange juice and preparing food for visitors when I was four. I\u2019d even cook fried chicken for myself with just a little help from my parents, mainly just turning on the gas,\u201d she shares. \u201cLooking back, those moments weren\u2019t about trying to impress anyone. I just really, genuinely enjoyed it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

That authenticity continues to define her. Whether as a high school student baking and selling lasagna to friends or as a college student merging her love for food with marketing and filmmaking, Abi never chased clout. She chased the connection.
\n\u201cI always planned to have a food business someday\u2026 But honestly, earning wasn\u2019t the goal. I just genuinely loved the feeling of making something for people and seeing them enjoy it,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Her time at UP Diliman\u2019s Hotel, Restaurant, and Institution Management program gave her not just technical skills but a deeper cultural lens. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t just about cooking something delicious but also understanding the roots of our dishes, how they bring people together, and how they reflect our values as Filipinos,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n

This blend of heart and heritage is perhaps best captured in her now-iconic \u201clumpia series,\u201d which began with a spur-of-the-moment idea to wrap leftover marshmallows and chocolate chips in lumpia wrappers. \u201cIt blew up. Within a couple of days, the video had millions of views\u2026 I remember feeling this mix of excitement and nerves in my stomach. But I instantly knew this would be my series.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since then, Abi has rolled more than 40 variations of lumpia, each one a creative take on a beloved Filipino staple. \u201cFor me, lumpia mirrors my journey. It\u2019s simple, familiar, and comforting, but it also has room for creativity and reinvention,\u201d she says. \u201cJust like how lumpia always has a place on the table at Filipino gatherings, it\u2019s also played a central role in my career and how I get to represent Filipino food culture.\u201d<\/p>\n

But behind her playful food experiments and highly polished videos is a strong foundation shaped by powerful women. \u201cThe number one woman who shaped me was definitely my mom,\u201d she says. \u201cA lot of what I know started from just watching and learning from her.\u201d Abi also names the late Chef Margarita For\u00e9s as a culinary inspiration. \u201cHer work paved the way for so many Filipinas in the culinary field.\u201d<\/p>\n

In many ways, Abi\u2019s story is not just about food. It is about roots\u2014of memory, of culture, of family\u2014and how they can be rolled into something entirely new while still staying true to where they began. She\u2019s more than a viral sensation or a TikTok star. Abi Marquez is a storyteller, and her medium just happens to be delicious.<\/p>\n

Photo Credit: Abi Marquez (with permission to use)<\/h6>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Abi Marquez’s rise as the “Lumpia Queen” is rooted in her childhood experiences in Laguna, where food and family melded into a passion that now enchants millions, revealing her journey of creativity and cultural pride. #LetsAllWelcome #LetsAllWelcome_AbiMarquez<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":257496,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19603],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-257495","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-lets-all-welcome"],"zyndk8_nxtgen_metadata":{"nxtgen_comments":[{"627":"lupet ng journey mo girl!! \ud83d\udcaf\ud83d\udc4a","628":"galing ng pinoy talent \ud83d\udc4f","629":"for the culture \ud83e\udef6","630":"ayiii ang sarappppppp \ud83d\ude0d\ud83d\ude0d\ud83d\ude0d","631":"huhu naalala ko mga luto ni lola \ud83d\ude2d","632":"cute ng batang abi \ud83e\udd70\ud83c\udf57"}]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/diplomatic-fuchsia-armadillo.46-250-226-234.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/257495","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/diplomatic-fuchsia-armadillo.46-250-226-234.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/diplomatic-fuchsia-armadillo.46-250-226-234.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diplomatic-fuchsia-armadillo.46-250-226-234.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/84"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diplomatic-fuchsia-armadillo.46-250-226-234.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=257495"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/diplomatic-fuchsia-armadillo.46-250-226-234.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/257495\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":257497,"href":"https:\/\/diplomatic-fuchsia-armadillo.46-250-226-234.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/257495\/revisions\/257497"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diplomatic-fuchsia-armadillo.46-250-226-234.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/257496"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/diplomatic-fuchsia-armadillo.46-250-226-234.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=257495"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diplomatic-fuchsia-armadillo.46-250-226-234.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=257495"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diplomatic-fuchsia-armadillo.46-250-226-234.cpanel.site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=257495"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}