In this season of celebration, it’s time to give thanks to the women who nourish us. To the foods that give us comfort. To the inventions that sustain us. I give you: Banana Ketchup. A beloved condiment in the Philippines invented by a scientist and war hero. Meet MARIA OROSA.
Born in the Philippines, Orosa studied in the United States. After receiving her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Washington, Seattle, in chemistry and pharmaceutical science, she returned home to address issues of malnutrition. It was during a tomato embargo that she developed the formula for banana ketchup, a condiment that has been a staple in Pinoy kitchens ever since.
Orosa founded the Health, Heart, Head, and Hands Club, an organization that taught women not only how to safely raise and preserve their own food, but how to plan nutritious meals.
During WWII, she was a captain in the resistance group Marking’s Guerillas. But instead of fighting physically, she used her brain. She invented Soyalc (a soybean product rich in protein) and Darak (rice cookies packed with B1 vitamins). She smuggled these products into P.O.W. camps to save the lives of starving Filipino and American soldiers.
Unfortunately, her life was cut short. In 1945, Orosa was killed in a hospital bombing. In 2019, her grave marker was found, declaring that she did, in fact, “die in the line of duty.”
Oh! And let ye doubt the popularity of banana ketchup, follow this link to order your very own banana ketchup flavored lip gloss. You’re welcome.
For more information on this bad-ass inventor, visit:
Maria Orosa: Meet the Filipino war hero who invented banana ketchup
Tatler: Who Invented ‘Banana Ketchup’? Plus 5 Other Unique Pinoy Cuisine Inventions
Photo credit: (banner) Judgefloro, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons; (article) Ramon FVelasquez, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons