These fish date back to the early Cretaceous Period, around 145-65 million years ago, when giant prehistoric creatures roamed the seas. Milkfish (Chanos chanos) is the last surviving member of the Chanidae family from that era, and we still enjoy them today. My daughter, who shares my love for milkfish, tells her four-year-old son, a dinosaur enthusiast, that the fish she eats once swam alongside the colossal Mosasaurus.

The calamansi tree offers not only convenience but also a reassuring sense of familiarity, like that of a dear friend. It adds a touch of joy to our morning coffee or lazy afternoon tea. In, out, and around it, chirping finches, scurrying squirrels, flitting hummingbirds, and buzzing yellow jackets transfixes us in the moment.

The divisive reactions to guava highlight how a single scent can evoke nostalgia in some while repelling others. What may be putrid to one person could be fragrant and deeply comforting to another. For me, the smell of guava is a reminder of home and the warm and nourishing comfort of a bowl of sinigang.

In our household, we favor a blend that fuses Tagalog adobo with the Visayan humba. Humba is based on the Chinese hong-ba, a pork stew that adds black beans and muscovado sugar to the standard adobo mix. This adaptation is simmered until the pork is crumbly tender, creating a thick, sticky sauce that coats cuts of chicken, pork, hard boiled eggs, and chicken liver. The result is a balanced flavor profile of sour, bitter, and salty, with a distinct leaning toward a rich, mellow sweetness.