The Histolinarya Collective, A.D.

25/05/2026

Mabuhay! As I return to producing recipe films, I proudly present SWEET INHERITANCE - the inaugural "album" in an ambitious series of gastronomic song cycles exploring cultural heritage and social issues through interconnected themes. To mark the occasion; here is the first movement of the piece, LECHE FLAN: Of Custards and Empires. Tracing a journey across migration; colonisation; adaptation; and endurance, this film follows how discard became one of the Philippines' most beloved desserts.

LECHE FLAN (The way Esperanza did it)
Juliana Gorricho viuda Pardo de Tavera
– translated by Monica Ortega and adapted by Roberto Villarcabral

8 egg yolks
1 litre milk
250 grams sugar, to sweeten the milk
125 grams sugar, for caramelising the mold

The way to do it:

Combine egg yolks with the sweetened milk.

Pour the mixture through a tin colander into the mould, which has already been coated with caramelised sugar prepared with a small trickle of water.

Be careful not to caramelise the sugar too much, as it burns quickly. Once it reaches an amber colour, swirl the caramel around the mould so that the bottom is thoroughly coated. Leave it to cool until the caramel has hardened.

Once the caramel has hardened, pour in the prepared milk mixture as previously explained.

Place the mould in a baking tray and pour hot water around it until it reaches halfway up the sides of the mould.

Bake in a moderate oven; it should not be too hot. Do not turn the custard out of the mould until it has completely cooled.

▪︎ This recipe remains largely faithful to the original period text. For presentation purposes, how-ever, it has been slightly adapted to accommodate the use of individual llaneras in place of the single large mould specified in the featured recipe; while native duck eggs were used in lieu of the implied chicken eggs more accessible to the author, who had been living abroad since the early-1870s. The addition of dayap [Citrus × aurantiifolia; native lime] was also included to reflect what certain Luzonense kitchens may have done at the time the recipe was written.

24/05/2026

24/05/2026

AROUND SIX O'CLOCK, the fish mongers of Malabon gradually fill the streets with coolers of sea-food they have brought over from Navotas fish port. This particular street would become jammed by them during the height of the evening and fill the market with fresh catch; opposite of how other sea-food markets usually function.

24/05/2026

KAMATSILE is a sponge cake biscuit whose shape resembles the name-sake fruit of the camachile tree. It is also known in Hiligaynon-speaking Visayan locations as kinamunsil (the Hiligaynon name of the afore-mentioned fruit-bearing tree). It is paired with the meriyenda fare that is pansit Malabon. Here are biscuits on display at the eighty-year-old landmark, Concepcion's Bakery.

24/05/2026

The most famous specialty of Malabon is the eponymous PANSIT MALABON, a native noodle dish that historically highlighted the bounty of Manila Bay. It is often paired with a local pastry, kamatsile (also spelled as camachile; slightly bottom right on the image).

24/05/2026

BUTSI (buchi ng Malabon) is another fritter that Malabon specialises in. A glutinous rice dough patty is filled with sweetened mung beans akin to the Chinese pastry jiandui (known in Chinese-Filipino communities as buchi/butsi), poached, and then fried while being coated in caramel. Another snack made available exclusively in the after-noon.

24/05/2026

BALENSIYA (valencia triángulo). Here in Malabon, they do fried dessert wraps differently. One of them is balensiya, and you will only find these in the after-noon. These are saba bananas (some times with jack fruit included) wrapped in spring roll pastry, deep-fried, and coated in caramel... much like the turrón de plátano (also known as lumpiyang saging) found in other Tagalog communities. According to Malabon food guide Isi Laureano, the original version was square; but a creative entrepreneur later introduced a triangular variation to set her apart from the rest, giving rise to the name valencia triángulo. As for how "valencia" became synonymous with these caramelised banana parcels, the origin remains unclear. Perhaps some one, some day, will have the answer.

24/05/2026

TORTANG ALIMASAG, as seen here in a market-place eatery. One of Malabon's specialties that reflect the fusion of Hispanic and Chinese influences.

24/05/2026

BRAZO DE MERCEDES from Betsy's Cake Center. 450 pesos a roll.

24/05/2026

COMING HOME TO MALABON. Isi Laureano took a Saturday off to return to her home-town of Malabon and visit the childhood abode where she grew up. She invited her friends, Sherwin Felix and me, to join her on a trip down memory lane.

Isi fondly recalled a home filled with love... and food. Her grand-parents prepared some of the most scrumptious Tagalog fare this side of the Manila-adjacent, from pinaksíw na isdâ and tortang alimasag to sarsiyadong bakà. And when ever she wanted more options, the neighbourhood karinderiya was literally right next door.

She reminisced about how the eskinita would celebrate New Year's Eve with a pot-luck, each household bringing some-thing special to the yearly festivities. It was this kind of deeply gastronomic environment that shaped her vocation as both a chef and a cultural advocate for Malabon heritage. Owing to its coastal geography; centuries-old Hispanic, Chinese, and Tagalog culinary traditions; and abundant access to fresh produce and sea-food that inspired a good number of iconic dishes, the city has earned the moniker "the food capital of the Philippines." Isi once shared that the local government used to host cuisine tours show-casing the best of what Malabon has to offer, but the pandemic brought the initiative to a permanent halt. She eventually took it upon herself to continue these tours; ensuring that people remain aware of just how culturally rich Malabon truly is. And every time she leads one, she delivers.

Yesterday after-noon, even though it was merely a casual exploration among us pals, she brought us around to enjoy balensya; butsi; pansit Malabon; piyanono; kamatsile; and a whole array of local specialties from the market-places to the hole-in-the-wall mum-and-pops gracing the vicinity. Spending a few hours with Isi made it clear that her tours are more than just food trips; they are lovingly curated immersions into the history, flavours, and soul of Malabon itself. Any-one curious to experience the city, for what it is worth, would do well to see it through her eyes and palate.

So if you are looking for great eats to find in Malabon, Isi Laureano is your guide.

23/05/2026

I will be uploading my first proper recipe film (films, rather) of the year this coming week.
Please enjoy.