Champorado Showcased in Nippon TV Segment
Filipino champorado featured in Nippon TV’s show Shuichi on 08 February 2026.
The classic Filipino chocolate-based dish champorado was prominently featured on Japanese national television through an episode of the show Shuichi which aired on Nippon TV on 08 February 2026.
The champorado was presented in the show by Filipino chef Mareve Inomata of Bananas Filipino Bistro, a Filipino restaurant located in Shinjuku City, Tokyo. The dish was selected as part of Shuichi’s segment on chocolate dishes around the world in celebration of Valentine’s Day.
Chef Mareve Inomata of Bananas Filipino Bistro (rightmost) introduces champorado to the hosts of Shuichi.
“The feature on the champorado not only brought warmth to Filipinos in Japan, but also marked the debut of Filipino cuisine into Japan’s mainstream food scene. Recognized as a staple comfort food to many Filipinos best served during cooler days, I am delighted to see more Japanese people discovering and sharing in the simple joy and warmth that a bowl of champorado brings, especially this winter season,” Ambassador Mylene J. Garcia-Albano remarked on the TV segment.
Champorado, or chocolate rice porridge, is traditionally cooked with glutinous rice, tablea or pure roasted cacao bean tablets, and sugar. As demonstrated during the TV segment, the dish is best served with a drizzle of sweetened condensed milk or evaporated milk. Savory toppings such as danggit (dried fish) or adobo flakes give the champorado its distinct sweet and salty flavor profile that is uniquely Filipino.
Apart from champorado, Filipino cuisine offers a variety of dishes that are popular for sharing among families and communities during cooler weather, including the bulalo, a hearty stew composed of beef shank and bone marrow.
Bulalo, a Filipino stew with beef shanks and bone marrow (Photo courtesy of Bananas Filipino Bistro).
The taste of champorado may remind Japanese audiences of ohagi or Japanese sweet rice balls with red bean paste. Such culinary similarities demonstrate the endless creative possibilities of interweaving Filipino and Japanese food culture and traditions, as the Philippines and Japan celebrate the 70th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations in 2026.
