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A sweet baking book of fantastically imaginative remixed Filipino American dessert recipes, plus essays on the Filipino American experience by baker-fundraiser Abi Balingit.
When the pandemic started her lonely work-from-home life in 2020, Abi Balingit channeled all her energy into the one thing that brought her joy: baking. In her tiny, dimly lit, shared kitchen, she produced hundreds of “pasalubong” (souvenir) boxes filled with especially creative treats that blended the Filipino treats and Western style baked goods she grew up with. Each time, she’d sell out within hours and donated the proceeds to support her community in need.
Now Abi shares some of these cult-favorite desserts with Mayumu (which means “sweet” in one of the 8 major languages in Philippines), an incredibly fresh baking book of 75 recipes that span from the never-before-seen, incredibly inventive flavor combinations that Abi dreamed up, to the more familiar, classic Filipino favorites:
Throughout, essays following Abi’s heritage and self-discovery introduce the flavors and experiences that have shaped her life, from visiting the motherland and her parents’ birthplace in Pampanga, Philippines, to California where she grew up and went to school, to her now home Brooklyn, NY. This beautiful book is a celebration of the Filipino American experience, perfect for home bakers wanting both nostalgic and excitingly new recipes.
Simultaneously nostalgic and eye-opening in its novelty, Mayumu is the perfect example of what makes the modern Filipino American food movement so exciting. By building on the basics of both American and Filipino desserts, Abi shows us how refreshing and fun it can be to loosen the boundaries of tradition and let the two schools mingle a little more. — Bettina Makalintal, food writer at Eater
Every recipe and every story in Mayumu bursts off the page with joy, love, ingenuity, and personality. Abi’s work is vibrant, eclectic, comforting, funny, deeply moving, and, to me, feels like a uniquely perfect articulation of the intricacies, depths, and jubilations of being Asian American. Mayumu is a celebration of what it means to be human and alive today. I absolutely adore this book. — Jonny Sun, New York Times bestselling author of Goodbye, Again
As a Filipino-American baker, I’ve very much longed for the representation in the culinary world that is Mayumu. Abi's recipes are a creative blend of Filipino and American flavors and treats, marrying the best of both worlds. — Michelle Lopez, blogger at Hummingbird High and author of Weeknight Baking
