Champorado or chocolate rice porridge, a Filipino dessert made using two basic ingredients - the perfect pairing of rice and chocolate, carries with it vivid memories of my childhood. Waking up from a nap on chilly Saturday afternoons to the the sweet smell of chocolate wafting from the kitchen, the glow in the hallway from the fading light of short winter days, the quiet hush from my still sleeping siblings... is it true for you too, that smell and taste suddenly catapult you backwards and further back, to memories that are so very clear...
Like Marcel Proust's episode of the madeleine, where he writes about the great spaces traversed from the mere taste of the plump little cakes: “... taste and smell alone, more fragile but enduring, more unsubstantial, more persistent, more faithful, remain poised a long time, like souls, remembering, waiting, hoping, amid the ruins of all the rest; and bear unflinchingly, in the tiny and almost impalpable drop of their essence, the vast structure of recollection.”
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After sharing champorado with my husband, I've since learned that his native France, along with many other countries, have their own variation of chocolate rice pudding/porridge as well...
For the photos above, I used what I had on hand: Jasmine rice, dark chocolate cocoa powder and whole milk. For traditional Filipino champorado, you may want to try the recipe from Jun-blog, a California-based Filipino food blogger.
For French chocolate ride pudding, a quick search led me to the recipe by Mireille Guiliano (of French Women Don't Get Fat).
Bon appétit!
This looks heavenly! Your own personal madeleine:) There is something so powerful about the memory of scent, and chocolate probably ranks among the most powerful of all...
ReplyDeleteThank you Lulu,... I'm thinking about making another batch right now :) P.S. I was wondering if you've had a similar dessert during your years in Hawaii.
DeleteChamporado, one of my childhood favorites too! My lola and mom used to make this for us in the mornings before school. I love the memory that you have shared, Catherine. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI guess it's one of the golden keys to our past Charmaine :) I bet your boys love it too!
DeleteLovely post, Catherine. It's amazing how strongly food is paired with memory, isn't it? And thank you for mentioning my blog.
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome Jun! So happy to have discovered your inspiring blog; if only I had the courage to try all your wonderful recipes. Perhaps one day I'll try going through your ABC's! That'll be a fantastic voyage through memories for sure. Thank you so much for visiting :)
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