The summer of the early 1990s found us in Atsugi, a small Japanese town just south of Tokyo. For military families like ours, Naval Air Base Atsugi, or “The Base” as we called it, was a slice of Americana. It had all the familiar comforts: a bowling alley, a bakery, a department store, and most importantly, a massive Independence Day celebration.
The Fourth of July on base was an explosion of patriotism. Red, white, and blue decorations were everywhere. Spontaneous chants of USA! USA! USA! would erupt from crowds, as if America itself had burst forth in a joyous celebration. Having just arrived from a less exuberant base in the Philippines, my family found it a little overwhelming, but in a good way.
We joined the festivities in the best way we knew how: with a barbecue.
The Base had numerous social clubs, and FILAM, the Filipino-American club, quickly welcomed my family. On the 4th of July, these clubs would set up food stalls on the base’s soccer field. Each year, my friends and I would navigate the field in the humid air, tempted by the diverse aromas. We’d pass stalls offering yakisoba and okonomiyaki, alongside classic American hamburgers and hot dogs.
However, the longest line was always at my parents’ stall. They were selling skewers of meat marinated overnight in my mom’s famous Filipino blend. The irresistible sweet garlic scent wafting from the grill drew everyone in, and the queue would rival the legendary Saturday morning line at Tartine bakery.
For us, celebrating America meant sharing the flavors that reminded us of home.
My mother’s marinade is simple, with just four key ingredients: crushed pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, and a generous amount of garlic. But each ingredient plays a crucial role. Pineapple juice tenderizes the meat, soy sauce acts as a brine, and brown sugar creates a beautiful caramelization. And the garlic? That’s purely for the incredible flavor. Its pungent aroma fills the kitchen during the overnight marinade, mellowing out into a nutty sweetness as the skewers grill.
My dad, managing the grill, could barely keep up with the demand. People would order dozens of skewers at a time. It became a running joke on The Base that the most sought-after July 4th Food at this American celebration in Japan was Filipino barbecue.
But it never felt strange to me. Even now, two decades later in San Francisco, my family continues to celebrate July 4th with these same skewers. The sweet garlic aroma instantly transports me back to our time in Japan, where the best way to honor America was by cooking the food that tasted like home.
Rezel Kealoha is a writer and food stylist in Walnut Creek, CA.
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