MAYUMU
Written by Abi Balingit
Publication date: February 28, 2023
288 pages
ISBN: 9780063244061
Abi Balingit’s debut cookbook Mayumu is filled with sweet Filipino desserts with surprising twists. Interwoven between the recipes are essays of Balingit’s own experiences growing up as a Filipino American, from California to New York. Bakers, amateur and pro alike, will enjoy her unique Filipino takes on classic desserts, such as adobo chocolate chip cookies, which are infused with bay leaves and topped with pink peppercorn.
Some of my favorite recipes from the book are:
- Melon Chicharron Crumble
- Adobo Chocolate Chip Cookie
- Ube Macapuno Molten Lava Cakes
- Matcha Pastillas
- Strawberry Shortcake Sapin-Sapin (Rice Cakes)
- Halo-Halo Baked Alaska (which I enjoyed reading but haven’t attempted yet)
At the start of the pandemic, Balingit channeled all her work-from-home energy into baking in her apartment kitchen. She sold hundreds of pasalubong (souvenir) boxes filled with baked treats she first tested at home.
Mayumu, which translates to “sweet” in Kapampangan, one of the 8 major languages in the Philippines, is a seminal book of desserts that explores and tests the flavors of the country in inventive ways.
Being a Filipino American myself, I especially liked Balingit’s essays that are sprinkled throughout the book. She details visits to the homeland, growing up in California, and how she comes to marry Filipino flavors with Western desserts.
So far, I’ve baked the adobo chocolate cookies myself, and it is a very simple recipe to follow. It does feel a little weird to add soy sauce, pepper, and bay leaves to a cookie recipe, but the result is fantastic: sweet, yet with a hint of umami flavor and spice.
Because Balingit made all these recipes herself in her own small kitchen, the recipes are generally easy to digest and work with, not requiring a lot of fancy appliances. If you’re looking for simple dessert recipes with a lot of flavor, look no further than Mayumu.
Review by Jaena Rae Cabrera, editing assistance by Charlotte Roh.
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