Wednesday, January 25, 2012
WAKING up early in the morning during my annual childhood summer vacation in Mambajao, Camiguin and Cagayan de Oro City always starts (well, almost a daily treat if I may say so!) with a hot bowl of sweet yet dark champorado.
It is made with glutinous rice (pilit) and native tablea (locally produced bitter chocolate from pure cocoa beans), water and milk (usually condensed milk). And if my memory serves me right, these rice and cocoa came from the farm where no pesticides or chemical fertilizers were used then.
Healthy? I would say yes because dark chocolate has a lot of antioxidants that is good for our health as recent studies have shown. Yummy? Definitely 100 percent!
This is one comfort food that I always look forward to whenever I can spend time in my hometown in Camiguin. And I eat it anytime of the day! Be it for breakfast or snacks.
Many places now produce their own tablea and pilit. And they also have their own way of preparing this delectable and delicious “kakanin”.
It doesn’t really matter to me how it is done or prepared, but I definitely want it thick, dark and sticky! Thick and dark because of the tsokolate and sticky because of the pilit. Not too sweet but just enough to waken up my senses!
Tablea is one item I always see “balikbayans” bring with them when they leave the Philippines. And it really evokes a lot of memories for them. Even with so much “imported” and “expensive” commercial cocoa powder in the market, nothing really beats “sariling atin.”
Tablea used to be very cheap and “nothing” added. But because of the rising cost of practically everything, these “commercial grade” tablea is no longer as “pure” as it was before. Plus, they have shrunk so much that instead of using one or two larger pieces of tablea for a bowl of champorado before, we need as much as 10 or more “tiny” tablea to recreate that flavor we were used to!
Changes along the way came when one can’t seem to find the original ingredients for this mouth-watering champorado. Instead of pilit, regular rice is used. Sometimes, it is in a 50-50 ratio.
As for the tablea, cocoa powder is used. And frankly, I am not complaining. Because I have tried using these ingredients myself and I find it to be equally good. But one thing to always remember is the quality of cocoa powder.
It should definitely be the best cocoa powder. Or it defeats the purpose. Just like chocolate cakes and chocolate drinks. And eating chocolates in general!
Using evaporated milk is okay. Adding sugar to sweeten it is of course one’s choice. I know some even add all-purpose cream to make it creamier! Maybe not healthy but to each his own.
As the rice is cooking, make sure there is always enough water. Just keep on adding water until the rice are puffed, soft and tender. Put a pinch of salt while it is being cooked. The tablea can be added during the last few minutes and stirred till they are melted. Pour enough milk as desired.
On a cold and rainy day or night, champorado is it!
(Email: potsnpans1976@yahoo.com, website: www.potsnpans1976.weebly.com)
Published in the Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro newspaper on January 26, 2012.
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