MANILA, Philippines — Three traditional Filipino porridges — arroz caldo, lugaw and champorado — have been recognized among the top 100 best porridges in the world, according to global food and travel guide TasteAtlas.
Warm and filling, lugaw ranks ninth in TasteAtlas’ top 100 porridges in the world. PHOTO BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
In an update released by the Croatia-based platform on Monday, August 5, and shared via its social media channels on Wednesday, August 6, the ranking featured arroz caldo in second place, earning an impressive rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars.
“Arroz caldo is the Filipino variety of congee, a thick rice porridge that is ubiquitous in many Asian countries,” TasteAtlas wrote on its website. “Distinguished by the addition of chicken, arroz caldo is usually cooked in a ginger-infused broth and served with various accompaniments and seasonings.”
TasteAtlas noted that while congee has Chinese origins, arroz caldo was “developed and adapted to suit the tastes of the large Spanish community that was present in the [Philippines] during colonial times. The dish is often enjoyed as a hearty breakfast or midday meal.”
Coming in at No. 9 is lugaw, another well-loved Filipino rice porridge, which received 4.1 stars out of 5.
“Lugaw is a Filipino rice porridge traditionally thought of as soft food for sick people, due to the fact that it doesn’t require much chewing,” TasteAtlas stated. “Warm, filling, and mushy, the dish acts as an ideal base for any type of meat and seasonings.”
The food guide added, “Lugaw is usually consumed for breakfast or as a snack. Many cooks like to add chicken, lemon, and ginger in order to improve the flavors of the dish. After that, it can be flavored with typical Filipino ingredients: scallions, garlic chips, sliced hard-boiled eggs, calamansi, or fish sauce.”
Meanwhile, in 19th place is the beloved champorado, a sweet chocolate rice porridge made with glutinous rice and cocoa powder. It earned 3.9 stars out of 5.
“Champorado is a thick Filipino rice pudding. Originally prepared with chocolate, it is now usually made with cooked glutinous rice blended with sugar and cocoa powder,” said TasteAtlas. “Its origins trace back to the Mexican champurrado, introduced to the Philippines during the Spanish colonial period.”
Filipino champorado is typically served hot or cold, sometimes drizzled with condensed milk or paired with salted dried fish.
Topping the TasteAtlas global porridge ranking is bubur ayam from Indonesia, also rated 4.3 stars, described as a local version of chicken congee. Rounding out the top five are elarji from Georgia (cornmeal porridge with cheese), taci si inghite from Romania (polenta-based), and banosh from Ukraine (a traditional corn porridge dish).
The inclusion of Filipino rice porridges in TasteAtlas’ prestigious list is a proud moment for Filipino cuisine, showcasing the country’s rich food heritage and the global appeal of its comfort food classics.
