Champorado Recipe
- Daniel
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 13 hours ago
After sharing my champurrado recipe, someone commented on YouTube saying they did not realize Mexican and Filipino versions were completely different. That comment stuck with me.
Instead of replying in words, I thought it would be nicer to reply with food. This bowl is my way of showing that while both drinks use chocolate, they live in very different places culturally and texturally.
In the Philippines, chocolate made with tablea often shows up as tsokolate or champorado. Champorado in particular leans into rice rather than milk, creating something closer to a porridge than a drink.
The roots trace back to the Spanish colonial period, when cacao from Mexico made its way to the Philippines via the galleon trade. Over time, Filipinos adapted it to local tastes and ingredients, pairing chocolate with glutinous rice and sometimes finishing it with condensed or evaporated milk.
This version is simple, comforting, and very different from Mexican champurrado. It is thicker, more subtle, and less spiced, letting the chocolate and rice do the talking.
If you have only known chocolate as a drink, this might surprise you in the best way. It is warm, nostalgic, and incredibly easy to make, especially if you want to understand how two cultures can start from cacao and end up with something entirely their own.
Ingredients:
(Serve 2)
Glutinous Rice, 100g
Water, 2 Cups
Filipino Chocolate Tablea, 60
Light Muscovado Sugar, 2 TBSP Adjust To Preference
Sea Salt, Pinch
Condensed / Evaporated Milk, For Drizzling
Fresh Orange Zest, 1/2 Orange
Equipment:
Sauce Pot
Directions:
Prepare the rice
Transfer the glutinous rice into a saucepan.
Wash the rice about three times, draining the water each time.
Add fresh water to the pot.
Cook the rice
Place the pot over medium heat.
Bring it to a gentle simmer.
Cook until the rice is very soft and can be easily mashed between your fingers.
Stir occasionally to prevent the rice from sticking or burning.
Add the chocolate
Add the chocolate tablea to the pot.
Stir until the chocolate has fully melted into the rice.
Sweeten and season
Taste the mixture.
Add sugar to your preference and stir until fully dissolved.
Add a small pinch of salt and mix well.
Serve
Remove from heat.
Transfer the champorado into serving bowls.
Drizzle condensed or evaporated milk over the top.
Finish with fresh orange zest if using.
Serve immediately while hot.
Chocolaty and nourishing...