Mayumu - by Abi Balingit (Hardcover)

About the Book

"A sweet baking book of fantastically imaginative remixed Filipinx American dessert recipes, plus stories of the Filipinx American experience by baker-activist, Abi Balingit When the pandemic started her lonely work-from-home life in 2020, Abi channeled all her energy into the one thing that brought her joy: baking. She started to produce Pasalubong boxes filled with novel treats that blended the Filipino and Asian flavors Abi grew up with and her favorite Western style baked goods, each time selling out within hours and donating the proceeds to support her community in need. Now, Abi shares 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 for sweet treats, organized in chapters tied to where she discovered these flavors growing up as child of immigrants in a cultural melting pot, from the Philippines, to all around California, to her now home Brooklyn, NY. And she bakes all of these in her tiny, dimly lit, urban kitchen, meaning anyone can do it, too"--

Book Synopsis

New York Time's "The Best Cookbooks of 2023"

James Beard Award-winner for Emerging Voice 2024

James Beard Award-nominee for Baking and Desserts 2024

A sweet fusion 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 Filipino desserts 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:

• Adobo Chocolate Chip Cookie
• Strawberry Shortcake Sapin-Sapin (Rice Cakes)
• Ube Macapuno Molten Lava Cakes
• Matcha Pastillas
• Melon Chicharron Crumble
• Halo-Halo Baked Alaska

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 current home, Brooklyn, NY. This beautiful Filipino cookbook is a celebration of the Filipino American experience, perfect for home bakers wanting both nostalgic and excitingly new recipes.

Review Quotes

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