Glutinous Rice and Cocoa Powder

Tricia Bugarin Katruz Albano BUS 100 15 Aug 2011 Champorado: The Breakfast of Champions Champorado is a Filipino chocolate cereal made with sweet sticky rice much like the kind of rice you would use to make sushi. Filipinos consider this as the oatmeal or porridge that people eat in the morning. Champorado is considered to be the breakfast of champions because this type of food is cooked with cocoa powder and mixed with sugar which is guaranteed to give you an amazing burst of energy for a long period of time.

Champorado originated back when the Spaniards colonized the Philippines in the late 1500’s during their galleon trades where Spanish ships sailed twice a year across the Pacific Ocean between the Philippines and Acapulco. A lot of the trades consist of silk, ceramics, and spices, and because of the frequent sailing, a lot of the Spaniards decided to stay in the Philippines bringing with them their familiarity of making Champorado. Over the century, this dish was made in many different ways.

It can be served for breakfast, or as a snack. You can also eat champorado when it’s cold after putting it in a fridge. Usually some Filipino eats the champorado with the combination of a dried fish. Although, it can be considered as a poor man’s food because it does not cost a lot of money and it is relatively easy to make. Everything you will need can be bought at your local grocery store. All you will need is a cup of sticky white rice, half a cup of unsweetened cocoa powder, two and a half cups of water, and half a cup of sugar.

You can also add a little bit of vanilla extract but that is entirely up to you. You will, however, need evaporated milk which will give the Champorado a little bit of creme color and to get the thickness down before you start indulging in this delight. Cooking this dish is very simple and does not require a lot of math. Boil the cup of sticky white rice in a medium saucepan stirring constantly because you do not want the rice to clump up together. The rice is ready hen it is transparent and thicker in texture and consistency. Add your cocoa powder and the sugar mixing and stirring these ingredients together. Ones the cocoa powder and the sugar are well blended with the rice turn the heat off and put a little serving in a bowl. Now, you are ready to serve this delightful dish with a swirl of evaporated milk on top. You can typically serve Champorado hot or cold. In our culture, we serve this with a side of salty fish or meat for breakfast.

Our society is one big melting pot of cultures where a lot of things are being introduced. It is okay to expose yourself to the many types of delicatessen available out there. The worst possible thing that can happen to you is a swollen throat or you can even break out in hives due to your allergies, so just be aware of the ingredients being used. Despite of the differences that we may have, we do have one thing in common; we all love to eat.