Maria Orosa, Food Scientist and War Hero
Myrna Muto, DEI Co-chair January 23, 2024
Maria Ylangan Orosa was born in the Philippines on Nov. 29, 1893. She grew up during the Spanish and American colonization of the Philippines. In 1916, she traveled to the U.S. as a government-sponsored scholar and earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemistry and pharmaceutical chemistry at the University of Washington. She was offered a job as an assistant chemist by the State of Washington, but her love for the Philippines led her back home in 1922.
She helped the Philippines become self-sufficient in food production by utilizing modern methods of preparation and preservation. At the Bureau of Science, she led the divisions of home economics and food preservation. She taught women how to can local foods and prepare nutritious foods with local resources.
When Japan invaded in 1941, she joined Marking’s Guerrillas and held the rank of captain. Orosa invented nutrient-dense foods to sustain the fighters. Her inventions include Soyalac, a drink made from soybeans, and Darak, a rice flour rich in B-1 vitamin that prevented beriberi disease. She organized a system for smuggling both products to an internment camp where 4,000 civilians, mostly Americans, were detained to help them survive over four years.
Orosa was wounded during a final battle for Manila. She was taken to a hospital, which came under American fire. She died on Feb. 13, 1945. Her most popular invention still in production is Banana Ketchup. Ingredients include banana, sugar, vinegar, and spices with a dash of red coloring. It tastes similar to tomato ketchup but a lot sweeter.
Sources:
Peralta, I. (2021, July 16) Meet the war hero who invented banana ketchup, news.yahoo.com
Mydans, S. (2022, Sept. 29, updated 2023, Jan. 23) Overlooked No More: Maria Orosa, Inventor of Banana Ketchup, nytimes.com