Champorado, also called chocolate rice, is versatile. Jun Belen, an Oakland, California–based cook and food photographer, grew up eating it for breakfast on chilly winter mornings in Manila, with pan de sal (soft, buttery rolls) and fried salt fish. He also ate it chilled as an after-school snack with evaporated milk poured over the top. We prefer our champorado made with good-quality bittersweet chocolate and served warm as a luxurious ending to a meal.
What to buy: Since this recipe contains so few ingredients, be sure to use good-quality chocolate. Missouri-based bean-to-bar company Askinosie imports single-origin cacao from Davao in the southern Philippines and produces a 77-percent bittersweet chocolate with earthy and slightly smoky flavors that really shine through in this simple recipe.
Although rice does not contain any gluten, short-grain sweet rice is sometimes labeled as glutinous rice or sticky rice and can be found in the Asian aisle of most grocery stores.
Game plan: The liberal garnish of rich evaporated milk is traditional, but feel free to substitute regular whole milk or half-and-half.
Click here to see more 21st-century Filipino recipes.
Cinco de Mayo
