If you visit H Mart and similar stores, you may have passed these food finds in the ramen aisle and wondered, “What are they?” as they sit next to other meals-in-a-cup from Asian countries. Nora Kitchen is made in the US, not imported, and they carry a big line of Filipino foods.
These two items are sweet porridges, eaten as breakfast or even as a dessert/snack.
Are they the same as cooking from scratch? To me, they’re like making gourmet ramen from a packet versus making a bowl from scratch. It’s easy. It is portable. It’s a single serving and only requires boiled water and a few minutes to sit. So no, it isn’t the same, but it is something you can take with you.
Will you like it? I cannot answer that for you. Some Filipino dishes are an acquired taste. These porridges use glutinous rice, a short-grain rice that smooths out if cooked long enough. In these cups, once opened, you will see small rice grains at the bottom and the flavoring packet you add. Add boiled water to the line on the cup (about 10 ounces), and stir well. Stir for 5 minutes, then let sit for the time on the package. Stir very well before eating. You will want to do that, as glutinous rice will clump while rehydrating.
But you will never know if you don’t try new things. They can be sourced on Amazon; each meal has a link below.
Champorado – chocolate porridge. Think of it as a thick bowl of hot cocoa. With rice. It is typically paired with dried fish, tuyo, which offsets the sweetness. They also make it in Ube flavor, for a modern kick.
Expect a thick bowl/cup of very, very soft rice with the texture and flavor of thick hot cocoa. It’s lower in sodium; you might need a pinch of salt (because it is paired with salty dried fish, it balances out).
Of the two meals, this is the one a typical Western palate would prefer.
Ginataang Mais. A thick porridge of rice cooked in coconut milk combined with corn.
This version isn’t super sweet; it has a mild coconut flavor and, yes, some sugar, but the savory corn still comes through.
Eating this dish is an acquired taste. You might not like it. Or you might love it. I cannot speak for anyone but myself. I enjoyed it, but I am also used to flavors/texture like this.
But as always? Try new things if you see them; go to international markets, wander around, and say, “Maybe I might like this.” Long ago, I worked for an Asian importer outside of Seattle, WA, and the owner, Jerry (who just retired!), introduced me to a new world – we carried food from many countries, and I cooked from all of them, not just from my own background. That expanded how I viewed food. And there are so many options out there now that we didn’t have even 10 years ago, of food that is camping friendly/ready.
~Sarah