Ka’ du li’ røget sild vs. champorado? 0n a strange intersection of Danish and Philippine cultures

Danes of my and possibly other generations should remember this song, which was part of the repertoire for group spirit fostering and boredom reduction in summer camps in the 1960s:

Ka’ du li’ røget sild?
Ka’ du li’ røget sild?
Ka’ du li’ røget sild med chokoladesovs?
Det smager vœldig godt - det’ godt
Det smager vœldig godt -det’ godt
Det smager vœldig godt med chokoladesovs

Briefly translated:
Do you like smoked herring?
Do you like smoked herring with chocolate-sauce?
It tastes really good
It tastes really good with chocolate-sauce

The point of this silly poetry was of course the repulsiveness and un-thinkability of the combination.

The limitations of my mother country’s culinary instincts were brought home to me, when visiting the home-land of Rafael, my Filipino partner in February 2007. While getting introduced to cacao and pili-nut trees and so many local products from these two species, I became acquainted with the champorado, a rice-porridge flavoured with unsweetened cocoa powder. In the Bicol Region, coconut milk is of course also an essential ingredient. A good breakfast champorado is served with dried anchovy or smoked fish, tinapá, on top. The provocative contrast between the gentle porridge and the tangy fish is brilliant, almost addictive.

Try it! In addition to the anti-oxidants it probably has excellent day-after properties.