Writers
Ariana Castro
kristel kayrelle
Angela Medina
Chloe Nelson-Torakawa
Rosa Roncal
Claire Saul
The zine’s layout, editing, and artwork was a collaboration between Ariana Castro, Angela Medina, and Chloe Nelson-Torakawa
The cover was drawn by Ariana Castro
Dear Reader,
We are proud to present you Pamhilin, which seeks to honor groceries and all that they symbolize personally, economically, and socially. Our title comes from the Tagalog word for grocery shopping. The act plays a huge role in our contemporary survival, is vital to mutual aid in times of protest and genocide, and remains inextricably part of our culture.
As college students ourselves we understand the struggle with groceries, expenses, proper nutrition, and finding ingredients reminiscent of home. At the same time, grocery stores offer such nostalgia and an opportunity for exploration. No two pages in this zine are the same, just as no two items in a grocery basket are alike. Through our collection of short stories, photo collages, recipes, and art, we hope you are encouraged to reflect on your own experiences, triumphs, struggles, grievances, and relationships with groceries.
Written by Chloe Nelson-Torakawa (she/her) and Ariana Castro (she/her)
Illustrated by Angela Medina (she/her)
99 Ranch opened in Westwood last winter and carries a variety of grocery goods. It also has a bakery serving favorites like red bean buns, cream breads, & cakes! We recommend checking out their baked goods, banana milk, frozen food, instant noodle collection, and meats!
Trader Joes & Ralphs are just a 10 minute walk from campus! They feature a great selection of snacks and frozen foods. Our recommended buys from Trader Joes are the Napa cabbage, ube mochi pancakes (seasonal), & frozen bulgogi. We especially like Ralph’s fresh produce and matcha/coconut mochi pancakes.
H-mart & Galleria are located a bit farther in Koreatown. They feature a wide selection of both fresh and frozen Asian groceries. We recommend their Jeonbok-juk (abalone porridge), kimchi, pre-made side dishes (fried fish cake, seaweed salad, etc), and fresh duck!
Nijiya is located a short bus ride from campus in Sawtelle, Japantown. While a little pricey, they feature fresh seafood, mushrooms, roasted chestnuts (seasonal), Japanese seasonings, and pre-made meals.
Seafood City is about an hour drive from UCLA in Van Nuys and is a Filipino grocery store chain with a food court. We recommend their chip collection (like PikNik and VCut), Valerio’s pan de sal, and barbecue skewers.
HONORABLE MENTION:
Weee! is a devliery service that sends Asian supermarket foods right to your door! It is best to order in large groups to save money and take advantage of their discounts. Their frozen sweet potato bread, kimchi, and vegetables are great!
“My favorite buys from Ranch 99 are their milk bread and banana milk. My most legendary purchase was at Ranch 99 when the banana milk was extremely discounted. I bought 40 banana milks for half price.”
- Emily
From banana-themed parties to 99 Ranch favvorites, here are UCLA student memories and perspectives on grocery shopping
“I recently planned a banana-themed party, and I had no idea where to get anything other than Cavendish. In came 99 Ranch Market, where they had more bananas than I’d ever heard of! I made banana pudding, banana cake, banana fritters, and served it all with banana-flavored seaweed. The party was a success!”
- Karrin
“I’m Filipino so of course I love Seafood City, but because I am not from the area I do not visit often. But in times that I do, I enjoy going to the Grill City of Seafood City where they sell authentic Filipino food. They taste so good and remind me so much of the place I grew up in. I also enjoy conversing with the workers in my native tongue.”
- Kristel
“I need carts to carry my groceries back home because it is too heavy. I think that the Trader Joe’s ube mochi pancakes are yummy and they are back in season right now. I like that there is a Trader Joe’s near campus and also the Ranch 99. Now, all we need is an Hmart hehe. However, the options are pretty good.”
- Chianie
“Yes. It frustrates me. My budgeting is going grocery shopping just once a week. I am an international student so I am not eligible for EBT. I have unfortunately never had a meet-cute at my local Trader Joe’s. . .”
- Soomin
Written and illustrated by Chloe NelsonTorakawa (she/her) and Ariana Castro (she/her)
The best way to have eggplant for breakfast and lunch — with eggs.
Ingredients:
4 Chinese eggplants
2 medium eggs
1 tsp of salt
Cooking oil
Recipe:
1. Grill the eggplant on the stovetop until the skin is charred completely.
2. Peel the skin off once cooled and flatten the eggplants with a fork.
3. Crack the eggs into a bowl, add salt, and beat the mixture.
4. Coat the eggplants with the beaten eggs.
5. Fry on medium heat for up to 3 minutes on each side, until nice and golden.
Time spent: 30 minutes
Total cost: $13
A hearty and savory Filipino classic!
Ingredients:
2 lbs chicken thighs and legs
3 pieces dried bay leaves
4 tbsp soy sauce
6 tbsp white vinegar
5 cloves garlic
1½ cups water
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp whole peppercorn
Cooking oil
Recipe:
1. Combine chicken, soy sauce, and garlic in a large bowl, letting it marinate for at least an hour.
2. Pan-fry the chicken on medium heat for two minutes on each side.
3. Pour in the remaining marinade and add water, then bring to a boil.
4. Add the peppercorns and bay leaves before simmering for 30 minutes (until the chicken is tender).
5. Add vinegar and stir for 10 minutes.
6. Add sugar, stir, and turn off the heat.
Time spent: 40 minutes
Total cost: $10 (exlcuding pepper, sugar, and soy sauce)
Meal prep and pack this for a quick, simple, & affordable lunch on-campus.
Ingredients:
3 cups day old rice
1½ tbsp Kewpie mayo (to taste)
Salmon
• Tip: Citrus-flavored, 2-pack goes on sale at Ralphs for $6.99! Tuna is also an affordable alternative
Furikake (salmon flavor preferred)
½ tbsp Ichimi Togarashi (to taste)
2-3 individual packs crispy salted seaweed
Recipe:
1. Cook rice if needed and leave it in the fridge overnight.
2. Pan fry or air fry salmon; if salmon is not pre-seasoned, season with salt, pepper, and lemon.
3. Mix cooked salmon with rice and Kewpie mayo.
4. Add furikake and Ichimi Togarashi to taste.
5. Form onigiri using either hands or mold. Wrap in seaweed and enjoy!
Time spent: 30 minutes
Total cost: $15
Delicious, high-protein dinner dish!
Ingredients:
1 lb thinly sliced beef ribeye or bulgolgi thawed
1 pack enoki mushrooms
1 yellow onion thinly sliced
2 tbsp vegetable/sesame/ olive oil
2 Green onion thinly sliced
3 tbsp regular soy sauce
2 large eggs beaten
¾ cup water
¼ cup mirin
2 tablespoons sake
½ tsp hondashi powder
Black pepper
Sesame seeds
Recipe:
1. Mix ¾ cup water, ¼ cup mirin, 3 tablespoons regular soy sauce, 2 tablespoons sake, and ½ teaspoon hondashi powder. Set aside.
2. Trim off the ends of the enoki mushrooms and sep arate the mushrooms into small bundles. Wrap each bundle with a sheet of the thinly sliced beef.
3. In a large skillet or saute pan over medium heat, add oil. Once the pan is hot, add the sliced onions and saute until the onions soften and turn translucent.
4. Arrange the enoki beef rolls around the pan in as even of a layer as possible on top of the sautéed onions.
5. Pour the prepared seasoned broth around the pan, add black pepper, cover with a lid, and bring it to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to keep it at a simmer and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes until the beef is no longer pink.
6. Once the beef is cooked, pour the beaten egg around the pan. Cover with the lid again and let the broth come back to a simmer until the eggs are cooked.
7. Uncover and garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Enjoy with rice!
Time Spent: 45 minutes
Total cost: $20
Written and
illustrated
by Angela Medina (she/her)
Collage created by Chloe
Nelson-Torakawa (she/her)
With the genocide of Palestinian people happening at this very moment, we urge our readers to understand what is happening to our brothers and sisters abroad. As students of a university complicit in aiding the killing of thousands of Palestinian civilians, it is our duty to fight for the divestment of funds aiding this genocide. Our collective voices remain powerful and we will not give in.
The power of the student voices was seen during the UCLA encampment for a free Palestine. As peaceful pro-Palestinian protesters were met with violent mob attacks from counter-protesters and brutalization from the police, students stood their ground and made it known to the world that we were NOT going to let our school get away with their crimes. Many joined in providing mutual aid to students at the encampment, offering grocery essentials, blankets, and medical supplies.
We will never stop talking, screaming, and fighting for a FREE PALESTINE.
Childhood recollections at the wet market from Rosa Roncal (she/her)
Illustrated and edited by Ariana Castro (she/ her), her granddaughter
The palengke was only, by walking, 1015 minutes from our house in Yakal — part of Manila.
I knew how to bargain. During that time, in the 60s, food was cheap but I still bargained. They would say the price and I would tell them my price for a tumpok. For example, the price for one tumpok of fish would be one peso and 50 centavos. I would make a bargain because they are my suki:
— “Can it be 75 centavos?”
— “No!”
— “Okay, make it one peso.”
— “Okay, okay.”
They would wrap it and give it to me because I had a lot of suki in the market. It’s like vendor friends. I knew them already because I went to the market every day. My Ate Joving would give me 20 pesos. And I would already have vegetables, fruit, meat, kakanin, and sometimes fish. Then I would save 30 centavos for my earrings!
For the accessories, the vendor would tell me 50 centavos.
— “No it’s only 25 centavos.”
— “Hmm?!”
That’s why the suki were always laughing. The next day I would buy a ring. Then I would tell my Ate Joving that I saved 30 centavos.
— “Bakit? Why?” — “Because I bought a ring.”
At the age of 11, I knew how to cook because I asked my Ate Joving how. She did the laundry and cleaning, so I had to go to the market and cook what I bought. I have five sisters and two brothers. Your great-grandpa was the only one earning money.Everybody else was at home doing chores.
I knew how to cook mixed vegetables, like kalabasa, sitaw, bitter melon, and eggplant. I sauteed with garlic, onion, and tomato, then added pork and a little bit of fish sauce or bagoong. After that, put a little water and all the gulai together. Taste it — if it’s okay for me, then everything will be okay.
Translations & Notes
Manila: capital of the Philippines.
Palengke: wet market.
Tumpok: small bulk or bundle.
Suki: vendor friends.
Ate: Filipino honorific for an older sister.
Kakanin: Sweets made of glutinous rice and coconut milk.
Bakit: why.
Kalabasa: squash (vegetable).
Sitaw: string beans.
Bagoong: shrimp paste.
Gulai: vegetables. —
According to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, which is the central bank of the Philippines, one peso equated to approximately 0.37 USD in 1960. One centavo (0.01 peso) was roughly 0.004 USD.
by kristel kayrelle (she/her)
kristelisafourthyearstudentstudyingBehavioralHealthSciences
the fruit that is commonly associated with the tree of good & evil is an apple. because even if you’re religious or not you’ve seen or heard of this reference.
what if i tell you i can give you a fruit that is worth much more than an apple to represent that prominent tree? a fruit so seductive due to its sweetness, and so pleasing to the eye anyone would be tempted to sin just to get a taste of it!
the distinct cousin of an apple, that fruit is a rose apple! forget about the granny apple! i crave those crispy red apples!!!
unfortunate are those who haven’t sucked the nectar of rose apples, who haven’t experienced this true heaven on earth.
i feel sorry if you have never tasted this fruit before. i'm not religious, but i have religious trauma, so excuse those references. when i think of the forbidden fruit, rose apples are what come to mind — a fruit that looks like it does not belong in this world. and unlike those that vary in sweetness depending on the season, rose apples never disappoint. they taste exactly like how they look: sweet, delicious, goodness in every single bite.
A grocery adventure with Claire Saul (she/her), a second year transfer majoring in Sociology
My favorite product is the tofu and edamame salad. It is healthy and tastes really good!
Erewhon products are NOT worth the price considering most of them cost an ARM and a LEG.
I shop at Erewhon because I have EBT funds that make it less financially constraining. I would only shop there if I had a disposable income that made it feasible for me to shop at a luxury grocery store. Having the financial status I have as a college student, I would NOT shop at Erewhon without an EBT.
