'Lumpia Queen' hailed as TikTok Ph's Foodie creator of the Year
Many TikTok users are able to learn how to cook simple or innovative dishes with the help of content creators.
One of them was so creative she was hailed as TikTok Philippines' Foodie Creator of the Year.
Here with me in the studio is "Lumpia Queen" Abi Marquez.
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One of them was so creative she was hailed as TikTok Philippines' Foodie Creator of the Year.
Here with me in the studio is "Lumpia Queen" Abi Marquez.
Visit our website for more #NewsYouCanTrust: https://www.cnnphilippines.com/
Follow our social media pages:
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CNNPhilippines
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cnnphilippines/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/cnnphilippines
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NewsTranscript
00:00 Many TikTok users are able to learn how to cook simple or innovative dishes
00:04 with the help of content creators.
00:07 And one of them was so creative,
00:09 she was hailed as TikTok Philippines Foodie Creator of the Year.
00:14 Here with me in the studio is no less than the Lumpia Queen, Abby Marquez.
00:20 Hello, Paul. Good evening.
00:22 Happy Halloween.
00:23 Happy Halloween.
00:25 And what a treat, what a treat to have the TikTok Philippines Food Creator of the Year.
00:29 My goodness, you bagged this award after only 22 months in social media.
00:36 Yes. Good math.
00:37 I did the math. I have to do it in my calculator.
00:41 How did it all start, Lumpia Queen?
00:44 So I think it all started actually very early.
00:49 I want to say that I honed my skills for a long time, even before I started this.
00:55 So my story is I really love filmmaking and cooking.
00:59 And during the pandemic, I was looking for a creative outlet.
01:04 And inevitably, I got to mix the two.
01:08 And I filmed the dishes I cook at home for our food.
01:14 And it hit.
01:16 Did it all start with Lumpia?
01:17 It didn't start with Lumpia.
01:20 Lumpia came a little later on.
01:24 And I'm still doing it right now.
01:26 But it's not just Lumpia.
01:30 I see that when you use the Lumpia, it's in different variants, in different ways.
01:35 Yes. So that's the concept of Lumpia.
01:37 It's dishes, can we turn them into something like a Lumpia?
01:43 Wrapping it in Lumpia. Is that possible?
01:46 So my attack on content creation is it's very experimental.
01:51 I want to experiment and try things that are not yet done.
01:57 Very curious.
02:00 Out of the box.
02:01 Yes.
02:02 I see that your videos are very snappy.
02:06 I just turn around and the cooking and eating is done.
02:12 Yes.
02:13 So that's how TikTok is.
02:16 TikTok, Facebook Reels, Instagram Reels.
02:20 There are a lot of short-form platforms now.
02:23 It means that the videos are only around one minute long.
02:27 And it's a very challenging but enjoyable media.
02:32 Because you really need to jump back to one video.
02:35 Like a recipe to be...
02:37 In 60 seconds.
02:39 Yeah, to be played just in 60 seconds.
02:41 And others will be faster than that.
02:45 But really, it's the modern...
02:47 Way of storytelling.
02:49 Yeah, modern way of storytelling.
02:52 60 seconds.
02:53 Yes.
02:54 And from that 60 seconds, you're now a social media superstar.
02:59 3 million followers on TikTok.
03:03 And I get to see the average number of views.
03:07 Close to half a million, 750,000.
03:10 You really catch the attention of your followers.
03:15 And it just continues to increase.
03:16 How does it feel to have so many followers and so many fans?
03:20 It feels so surreal.
03:22 Because I started content creation out of passion.
03:27 I was still a student when I started.
03:28 But before you started all of this, you were already on social media.
03:33 Yes, but just as a consumer.
03:35 As a consumer.
03:36 Yes.
03:38 And I still consider myself new and kind of young.
03:43 And content creation is, I believe, unconventional at this point.
03:49 And I took that risk to take this content creation as a career.
03:54 And to just win this award and get this recognition is such a big deal.
03:59 So it's now a career, but you took up hotel and restaurant management in UP Diliman.
04:06 Do you still plan to pursue that?
04:08 To work in a hotel, maybe in a restaurant, or even manage your own restaurant?
04:14 Or are you just really focused on content creation?
04:18 So as of now, I'm really focusing on this.
04:20 I find it very enjoyable.
04:22 And I haven't gotten tired of it yet.
04:24 I don't think I will for a very long time.
04:28 But I have that background, which I can also use.
04:32 Fall back.
04:32 It's a fall back.
04:34 Yes, fall back.
04:35 Fall back.
04:37 But I'm also using it now with my content creation.
04:41 Because in this program, we learned the basics of cooking, like food safety,
04:45 and how to manage just food.
04:49 And I'm able to share that learnings in my videos also.
04:53 You have so many followers, 3 million to date, and you're promoting Filipino food, right?
05:02 But why isn't Filipino food really recognized as a global cuisine?
05:10 We have Japanese food, Korean food, Italian food in every corner of the world.
05:17 What can you do to really push Filipino food?
05:21 And for Filipinos around the world to set up their own restaurants, not turoturo,
05:26 not canteens or cafeterias, but really respectable restaurants.
05:32 I feel like we have so much to offer, but we haven't shared it with the world.
05:40 And that's one of my goals, I think, when creating content.
05:44 Especially that my audience, it's not just Filipinos, it's also--
05:48 Worldwide.
05:49 Yeah, it's also international viewers.
05:52 So having that is-- I consider that as an opportunity to really put forward the Filipino cuisine.
06:01 And I hope that when people watch my videos,
06:04 they'll be amazed and they become more open to trying Filipino dishes because it's delicious.
06:10 Yes.
06:11 How many videos do you upload on a weekly basis?
06:22 It really depends.
06:25 So it's interesting scheduling when it comes to content creators because it's really us.
06:33 It's just like a Facebook user who's just made a video and just uploads whenever they want.
06:40 And with the current system of TikTok and everything,
06:45 I don't think it's very important to--
06:53 The old videos are still watchable by people.
06:56 Rehashed.
06:57 Yeah, rehashed.
06:58 So what's important to us is to continuously create content and keep it--
07:05 And when you create the content and when you come up with the different topics,
07:12 is it you who decides or is it your team?
07:16 Your whole team is here with you right now in the studio.
07:18 Yes, my team.
07:19 Your management team.
07:20 Yes.
07:21 Right now, it's mostly up to me.
07:23 Everything I upload, even when sometimes I need help for editing,
07:30 sometimes I would hire if I have a lot of content I want to push out, I would need help.
07:36 But all of those still need to go through me.
07:40 And I have to make sure that a video really reflects who--
07:45 Your personality.
07:46 Who I am.
07:47 Who you are.
07:47 Yes.
07:48 You're really vibrant, you're really excited and passionate in those 60 seconds.
07:55 And that's very important in attracting more followers.
07:59 Yes.
08:00 And what would you say would be your top three recipes from all of the videos that you have?
08:07 Top three.
08:09 Okay, top three, I think would be my Leche Flan video.
08:16 It's a video where I said three rules to make your Leche Flan very smooth and creamy.
08:23 And then next would be Tortang Talong.
08:25 Oh, that's delicious.
08:26 Very Filipino.
08:28 So I bank on the fact that Tortang Talong was hailed as one of the best egg dishes in the world.
08:34 So there's an opportunity to get the interest of other nationalities about Tortang Talong.
08:42 And I'm so happy with that because after posting that video,
08:46 a lot of different nationalities tagged me in their stories trying Tortang Talong.
08:52 And then next would be, I guess, the Kanto Fried Chicken.
08:56 Kanto?
08:57 Yes, Kanto Fried Chicken.
08:59 Street-style fried chicken with a dipping sauce of vinegar.
09:03 Wow, that's delicious.
09:03 Yes.
09:04 So I also noticed that when this dish or recipe is presented in a very engaging and entertaining way,
09:15 people are really willing to listen.
09:17 So that's, I think, the art of short-form recipe videos.
09:21 You started 20 months ago and we were still getting back into the normalcy of life.
09:28 What would your advice be to potential content creators who just want to join now?
09:34 Yes.
09:34 Do you think it's too late?
09:36 They've missed the jeep, they've missed the bus in terms of content creation?
09:41 I don't think it will ever be too late because,
09:46 me personally, I've made the mistake of studying this so much.
09:53 I tried to listen to everyone,
09:57 "This is how you should do it so the video will succeed. This, this, this."
10:02 But I feel like the real advice I can give, especially to someone who's just starting,
10:09 is create a video that you would want to watch yourself.
10:13 And the easiest way to stand out is just being who you are.
10:19 I know it sounds cliche, but you, your personality is very unique to you.
10:24 And if you use that in your videos, it's going to be unique also.
10:31 Then just have fun. That's it. Just have fun.
10:33 If you have fun in the video, it will reflect in the video and people will have fun watching the video.
10:38 And we just really had so much fun chatting with you on The Final Word.
10:41 And congratulations, the Lumpia Queen, Abby Marquez, TikTok Philippines Food Creator of the Year 2023.
10:49 Thank you so much.