Day 346

Champ-O-Rado: Ever wonder what chocolate oatmeal would taste like? Well, look no further than this product I found during my last visit to the Buford Highway Farmers Market. I've made an effort to search in different sections there instead of my usual standbys (Korean, Eastern European, Japanese), and I've actually found lots of interesting new things in the Philippines aisle. While not as extensive as some of the others, the aisle has supplied me with several finds, one of which is today's new food.

At first glance, the picture on the box made it look like chocolate pudding, but as I looked closer, I realized it was much different. Apparently, it's a popular Filipino dish made with glutinous rice and cocoa powder that can be served as a snack or dessert. At first, I thought this might be too similar to congee (which I'd tried before), but as I kept reading, it seemed extremely different. Into my basket it went.

Since this was the last stockpiled item I had on hand, I went ahead and made it today. Preparation was easy - I just had to add 3/4 cup of sugar to the powdered cocoa/rice mix, then boil it for about 10 minutes until it thickened. Once it was done, it resulted in a thick, soupy, dark liquid that resembled oatmeal. The directions advised drizzling some milk on top, which I did before trying.

Despite the good amount of sugar I added, it really wasn't that sweet. It actually reminded me of a bowl of Cocoa Pebbles that had been left sitting for awhile to get soggy, then heated. Not too bad, and definitely not like congee at all. This recipe made a lot of this stuff, so I guess I have some eating to do if I want to finish it. If the concept of chocolate hot cereal or oatmeal appeals to you at all, definitely check this one out.