➤ story by KALEA MARTÍN
Olivia Rodrigo is a proud Filipina. She brings up her heritage every chance she gets, whether it be mentioning it on The Tonight Show, or making a TikTok using Cameron Diaz’s viral “I grew up with a lot of Pilipinos” soundbite.
And let’s not forget how heavily documented her first trip to the Manila was—how she brought her dad along with her, made sure all the concert tickets were priced under $26, and on top of that, donated 100% of the show’s proceeds to Jhpiego, a nonprofit organization focused on the health and well-being of women and girls in the Philippines.
Related: Bridgerton’s Yerin Ha Talks Korean Food—And Her Mom’s Galbijjim Recipe
Rodrigo, who is Filipino on her father’s side and has roots in the Ilocos region, speaks about Filipino food with the same enthusiasm. She’s named halo-halo as a favorite dessert, and has no problem eating with her hands, diving into a boodle fight while dining at Filipino restaurant Sarsa.
Most recently, she showcased her homemade lumpia recipe as part of an interview with British Vogue, along with her own twist on a Paloma cocktail, featuring calamansi. “They’re really delicious and savory, and like, kind of greasy in the best way. I don’t know, it’s just like feel good food!” she says of her lumpia.
Check out Olivia’s recipe below, along with her Filipino style paloma drink!
Olivia Rodrigo’s Chicken Lumpia & Calamansi Paloma Cocktail
“You can make lumpia with pork and beef, but I really like chicken—I’m a chicken girl.”
—Olivia Rodrigo, on how to make lumpia
Ingredients:
- FOR THE LUMPIA:
1 package lumpia wrappers
1½ pounds ground chicken
2-3 carrots (¾ cups, chopped)
Half of a yellow onion (¾ cup, chopped)
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon cilantro
1 egg
Salt & pepper
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 egg yolk (for sealing the lumpia wrapper) - FOR THE COCKTAIL:
1 shot tequila (1.5 oz)
2 shots grapefruit Juice (3 oz)
1 shot agave (1.5 oz)
2 shots sparkling water (3 oz)
Juice of 1 calamansi, about 1 tablespoon
1 to 1½ cups of ice
Directions:
- FOR THE LUMPIA:
Step 1. To make the filling, start by adding the ground chicken to a large mixing bowl.
Step 2. Add the carrots into a food processor until they have a finely chopped consistency, then transfer them into the mixing bowl with the ground chicken. “I am really bad at chopping vegetables,” Olivia says, explaining her choice to use a food processor over a knife. “I’m an okay baker, but cooking is really hard for me, because I have terrible cutting skills. I’m working on it.”
Step 3. Next, use the food processor to chop the onions, then add them into the mixing bowl.
Step 4. Mince two cloves (or more) of garlic and finely chop the cilantro. Add both into the mixing bowl along with one egg, salt, pepper, and sesame oil. “I love garlic. I overdo it on everything,” Olivia says.
Step 5. Put on a pair of gloves and mix the ingredients together by hand until thoroughly combined.
Step 6. Crack an egg into a small bowl, separating the yolk to use as a glue to seal the edges of the wrapper together. Olivia doesn’t dilute the egg yolk with water to make an egg wash; she simply uses the beaten yolk by itself.
Step 7. Take a lumpia wrapper, and if it’s the circular kind, cut off round edges top form a more rectangular shape. Add the filling, about two tablespoons. “I just try to shape them as uniformly as I possibly can, but it doesn’t always work out that way. But it’s okay ’cause it’s made with love,” Olivia says.
Step 8. Roll up the wrapper with the filling, brushing the edge with egg yolk to seal. Repeat until you don’t have any more filling or wrappers left.
Step 9. Add oil to a deep fryer or large pot, and set to medium-high heat. Add the lumpia carefully, being sure not to overcrowd, and fry until they turn golden brown. “Usually when they float to the top, that means they’re good,” Olivia says. - FOR THE COCKTAIL:
Step 1. In a cocktail shaker, add the tequila and grapefruit juice, along with the agave for sweetness. “I like my drinks kind of sweet,” Olivia says.
Step 2. Squeeze in the juice of one calamansi, “for a little extra pizazz,” Olivia says, explaining, “These are Filipino fruits. They’re these delicious, little, sour, kind-of-orange things.”
Step 3. Add the sparkling water: Olivia puts it in the shaker with the other ingredients, though if you want to preserve the fizziness, wait to add it until after shaking.
Step 4. Fill the shaker with about 1 to 1½ cups of ice, then pop on the cover and shake it 13 times. “Someone said that you have to do 13 of them.” Olivia says. “I don’t know, that’s just random, but that’s what I did.”
Step 5. Rim your glass with a grapefruit wedge and salt, then pour in the cocktail. “The salt on the rim just ties it all together,” Olivia says.
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