Filipino Chocolate Rice Porridge

The World Of Filipino Cooking
Champorado At Tuyo

It is believed that Champorado traces its origins to Mexico, though it has been adapted and localized in the Philippines. Champorado is a thick, slightly sweet rice porridge, flavored with cocoa. The dish uses sticky, glutinous rice and native cocoa and cooked to a very thick, almost pudding like consistency. Filipinos pair champorado with dried, salty fish (tuyo), this delights the Filipinos and repulses foreigners. Having tried this, it’s much like enjoying salted chocolate, and the slight fishy flavor surprisingly just seems to work. In my version, I like to take a shortcut by stirring through a few pieces of high grade dark chocolate into my sweetened glutinous rice (malagkit), and topping some milk for a creamier porridge. I add cacao nibs for a bit of nuttiness and texture. It’s a great dish for newcomers to Filipino food, showcasing the cuisine’s tendency to integrate strong opposing flavors in a single dish.

Good for 6–8
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes