lipu Somoku

update: 20 dec 2025

lipu Somoku is a very large project and requires a lot of work and outside help, so i've decided to put it on hold for the time being. the discord server will stay open, but it will probably not have any announcements coming from it any time soon. recipe submissions are also still open, but i will not be looking at them for consideration until considerably far into the project. sorry :(

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i'm writing a book! it's a community cookbook, competely in toki pona, a constructed language that i speak. it will be called lipu Somoku, a combination of the words "sona," knowledge; "moku," food; and "kulupu," group.

backstory

being mexican-american, my family placed a lot of emphasis on family meals, as well as cultural dishes. sitting at the table with my family was the way that i was taught table manners, social norms, conversation, and recipes. helping my stepmom and dad in the kitchen also is where most of my knowledge of cooking comes from.

a while ago, i experimented with a meal that i made. i whipped together a quick salsa verde, seasoned and cooked some beef, poured broth into that, simmered it, then added the salsa into that. it ended up being a delicious sort of carne con chile (a mexican dish consisting of meat cooked in a spicy vegetable-based sauce). at the end of the cooking process, I sat down and ate, and was extremely proud of the meal that I had just made. this experience kick-started my inspiration for lipu sonamako.

themes

this cookbook will not only focus on the topics of food transformation and history but also dive deep into the social critique of industrialization and commercialization of food, the decline of the traditional family meal, and the concerning link between decreased home cooking and rising obesity rates.

lipu sonamako is a very ambitious and large project, and will take a very long time to finish. once it is done, i’ll release it as a full printable pdf!

goals

my goals for the book can be summarized in five toki pona sentences ¹:

o pona: obviously, if toki pona is pona, lipu Somoku should be too! i want it to be simple, intuitive, and educational. no measurements will be given, but a description of the function of each ingredient. instead of saying “a whole lemon,“ there could be a chapter on acidity, citrus, and/or sour flavors. pictures will be integral to achieving this goal.
o kulupu e nasin ale: going off the pona goal, i don’t want there to be overly intricate or complicated recipes. the ingredients of the recipes should include ingredients that are either easily sourced or substitutable. i want to include hidden gems from different cultures, such as iconic foods, flavors, techniques, and stories to inspire new recipes.
o pana e sona suli: i don’t want this book to be something that people only crack out every once in a while to “try something different,“ or “impress the new guests.“ i want this book to cover things from a simple bowl of cereal to an intricate chocolate croissant. i want this book to help the reader cook amazing meals from zero, and also empower them to cook something of their own. something essential i want to include are explanations about the five flavors of food: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami.
o sitelen pona: it just looks nicer. i’ll probably make a sitelen Lasina version, but i won’t be happy about it! :p
jan ale li ken pali e moku: this toki pona phrase essentially means “anyone can cook.“ it emphasizes the universal potential within humans to create a satisfying, delicious, nourishing meal. the significance of food, cooking, and a group meal resonates deeply with me personally, because i see it as something that makes us human, and with a meal comes the ideas of culture, stories, interpersonal connections, identity, and nutrition.

more info

for additional information and inspiration, i recommend the following books:

the omnivore’s dilemma by michael pollan
cooked by michael pollan
salt fat acid heat by samin nosrat
an unapologetic cookbook by joshua weissman
baking yesteryear by b. dylan hollis

vision board

this is the vision board for lipu Somoku, organized on milanote!

discord server

lipu Somoku also has a discord! this is for announcements, updates, submissions, and all the information about the book you could possibly need.

¹ literal translations in toki pona, in order; o pona, "be good;" o kulupu e sona ale, "group all knowledge;" o pana e sona suli, "give important knowledge;" o sitelen pona, "use sitelen pona;" jan ale li ken pali e moku, "all people can make food"