Arlyn Osborne’s cookbook ‘Sugarcane’ hones in on her Filipino-English heritage but the influences go even further back

Sugarcane is a cookbook that pays homage to Arlyn Osborne’s heritage, this being a blend of Filipino and English ancestry. It is an amalgamation of her love of Filipino food, particularly the culture’s sweets and desserts, which she mixes with Western cooking methods.

As a person of Filipino-Chinese descent myself, having spent almost two decades of my life in Australia, alienation and learning to assimilate has been in much of my life, hence I can relate to some of Osborne’s challenges and struggles.

The help of modern globalisation and the Filipino diaspora allowed for much easier access to my Filipino pantry via imported goods from Asian markets and Filipino groceries. Living in Melbourne now, it’s a lot easier to have access to once-difficult-to-obtain groceries due to a bigger Filipino population and restaurants around the corner.

Arlyn’s expertise in the culinary arts and her experience growing up in a household with people who cook for a living (especially her father who was a baker in Devonshire) and her regular hankering for home-cooking has seen her hone into her craft. It helps that in Filipino culture, food is all about bonding and making memories with your family – a stark contrast to the traditional Aussie way.

Going through her cookbook, there are classic Filipino desserts done differently, such as Maja Blanca, a custard made of coconut and corn, which she has turned into a custard cake. Other highlights for me are the Mango Float (and not just because we share names), Cheese (or Queso) Ice Cream, and Pan de Sal (a type of Filipino bread roll).

Aryln adds notes to each recipe about what inspired her to include, and even complements some with photos of her childhood and places she grew up in, lending the book a personal touch.

The author also takes time to highlight her Filipino roots, which I appreciate. She educates the audience on ingredients typically used in Filipino cuisine, such as pandan, Filipino mangoes, coconuts, ube, lemongrass, bananas, and sesame seeds, variously mixed with conventional Western cooking.

In comparison to her contemporaries such as Claire Saffitz, Molly Baz, Ricky Martinez and Andrew Rea, Aryln brings her mixed ancestry and passion for cooking to the forefront of her book. She wants to educate the world about the Philippines and its desserts, cakes, pastries and bread, not just offer goodies for consumption. While some of her recipes take inspiration from other cuisines (eg: baklava from the Greek; panna cottas from Italy), these never stray too far from her roots. Bringing in a little European inspiration isn’t surprising since much of Filipino cuisine has seen its Austronesian base evolve to include Chinese, Spanish, even American influences.

Despite its huge array of influences, the recipes in this book are easy to follow, allowing conversions to Western cooking methods to make recreation of the dishes easier. While it may make something similar, her recipes are truly unique and it is a result of the mixed cultural upbringing. I especially love how proud Arlyn is of her Filipino heritage, and seeing her embrace her culture makes me proud as a third-culture person.

Mango Adonis

‘Sugarcane’ is available in quality bookstores, RRP $35.00, published by Hardie Grant.