Preparation

The Filipino breakfast table embraces contradiction: sweet, creamy chocolate rice porridge served alongside aggressively salty dried fish. To the uninitiated, this pairing seems impossible, but one taste reveals the genius—the sweet and savory elements amplify rather than compete with each other.

Champorado has Spanish colonial roots, adapted from champurrado, but Filipinos made it distinctly their own by incorporating local glutinous rice and pairing it with tuyo, a breakfast staple that represents the country's fishing heritage.

Preparation

1. Rinse glutinous rice thoroughly until water runs clear.
2. In a medium pot, combine rice and water. Bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes until rice is very soft and breaking down.
4. Add cocoa powder or chopped tablea chocolate to the rice, stirring until completely dissolved.
5. Add sugar and salt, stirring well. Adjust sweetness to your preference.
6. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mixture reaches a thick, porridge-like consistency.
7. While the champorado finishes, fry the dried fish in a dry pan until crispy and heated through.
8. Remove from heat and stir in evaporated milk.
9. Serve the champorado in bowls with a drizzle of coconut milk on top.
10. Place fried dried fish on the side of each bowl or on a separate plate.
11. To eat, alternate between spoonfuls of sweet porridge and bites of salty fish, or flake the fish into the porridge if you're feeling adventurous.