Today we’d like to introduce you to Samm Deboda.
Hi Samm, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I’m Samm Deboda. Filipino-American born and raised in LA. I’m a graphic designer and the creator of Sili Billy’s, a brand of small-batch chili crisp called “Sili Sauce”.
With parents coming to the city to follow dreams of their own, I was always encouraged to explore, invest, and share any and all of my creative interests since I could remember. Currently working as a graphic designer, I’ve tried on many hats that eventually led me to directions that fulfilled me as a creative person. From studying film, working as a barista, and greeting folks as an art gallery receptionist. However, it was everything that happened in between where I found my love of food and design.
Growing up in a Filipino household meant foods on the table at every hour of the day for anyone who’d pass through those doors. The kitchen was always on game mode, and it was always a surprise what stewy dish my aunt would be orchestrating for her drop-ins that day. Her chronic generosity was contagious, and “single-serving” cooking was not in our vocabulary. Everything was best served shared.
Design came later in my life. Initially studying to be a film major, I learned quickly Hollywood ain’t for everybody. I found myself focusing more on foundational design classes with no idea what kind of future that held in the real working world. With a nudge from my counselor, I transferred out and pursued Graphic Design. It was then that I learned that those visual tongue-in-cheek moments in logo-making really fed my soul. This opened a number of ways that I could get my hands dirty (quite literally) and validated my belief that inspiration can be hidden in plain sight.
Finding a way to marry these disciplines was an interesting journey, but looking back, I discovered how they’ve always worked hand in hand. In both, we eat with our eyes first with sensory elements that catch our attention. When I began Sili Billys, I aimed to feed both appetites. What started off as a simple question of “What would it taste like if I put corn nuts in chili oil” and later as a DIY Christmas gift became the perfect union of everything I knew to love.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not at all. From the physical labor it takes to create something with your hands and operate a one-man makeshift assembly line, there’s a sort of scrappiness I had to activate along the way working out of my home kitchen. It’s a humbling experience beginning something like this, but keeping up with it, burns and all, was the real challenge. It’s not always going to be a sure shot but the learnings are always there and you eventually find your ways to make it easier.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about Sili Billys?
Sili Billys is a brand of small-batch chili crisp called “Sili Sauce” born out of my home kitchen in 2021 and driven by the inviting spirit of Filipino food culture. “Sili” translates to “chili” in Tagalog and nods to the curiosity and playfulness in home cooking.
Like many people, for me, no dish is complete without a little bit of spice. I would go through dozens of bottles of the “red lady chili oil” (also known as Lao Gan Ma). One day I decided to try my hand at it with the dried chilis stored in the back of my kitchen cabinet and a light bulb idea of adding corn nuts to it. I played with different ratios of seasonings, adding in whatever seemed like a tasty addition, and then log all my findings in an oil-stained notebook that I still use today. With the extra I had, I served it to my mom dressed over my favorite Filipino comfort food “arroz caldo”, a chicken-based rice porridge. She asked what was on top, and told her what I’ve been toying with. During a tough holiday, she encouraged me to give it away as gifts during Christmas time to save some money. I took off with that idea and found it as an opportunity to make some packaging design out of it.
There is no shortage on the amount of chili oils in the market right now. Each unique with their own recipe to their story. For Sili Sauce, bringing the nostalgia behind sharing bags of “Boy Bawang” straight out of the “balikbayan box” into a different context sets its story apart. Despite the punchy flavor profiles in Filipino cuisine, there isn’t much Filipino representation in the chili oil sphere, and has been an interesting journey to fill that gap.
What are your plans for the future?
To keep getting silier. During a little bit of a hiatus away from slinging sauce, I was constantly thinking of ways to improve how Sili Billys would look and feel while still rooting it to the same voice I’ve established from the beginning. After some playing around and sketching out ideas, I recently went through a label refresh as a small step in reintroducing it and helping me see it in a more expanded point of view.
As far as where I plan to take Sili Sauce from here, I hope for it to reach more ground than it already has and make it more accessible. I’ve had many great opportunities to sell my sauce at popup events and LA retailers, such as Open Market and Wine and Eggs, where people from different areas were able to try it. However, bringing it online might be the next step.
Last summer I was able to collaborate with local pizza pop-up Quarantine Pizza, at Benny Boy Brewery here in LA for a skewer and pizza party, where I cooked for a larger group for the first time. It was a new experience for me but I enjoyed every bit of it. Plus, getting my friends on board to help man the ship and rock with me was just the cherry on top. I’ve got some other ideas to do something similar again this year to bring more tangible, tastable ideas to new and frequent flyers alike. And hopefully, collaborate with more talented people to have Sili Sauce featured in their menus.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: silibillys
Image Credits
Kim Saira
