Body-Warming Dishes for Rainy Season

CEBU, Philippines - The rainy days are here. Which comes with a drop in the ambient temperatures, too. So, it's wet and cold, and people just want to stay indoors - and eat and sleep!

The urge to eat more during cold weather can be due to either of two reasons, or both. There's just nothing much to do when one is confined indoors and food dominates the mind. Or, the cold weather actually requires the body to fuel up to generate enough heat.

Whatever the real reason for the cold-weather food cravings, the websites panlasangpinoy.com, ph.theasianparent.com list several body-warming dishes, which are quite popular with Filipinos.

Nothing beats champorado in cold weather. Both filling and sweet, this chocolate rice porridge is made of glutinous rice mixed with milk and instant cocoa powder or native tablea (pure cocoa blocks). It's a popular breakfast and merienda fare best enjoyed with dried fish.

The name arrozcaldo is Spanish in origin, which literally means "rice broth," but the dish actually originated from the Chinese. This rice porridge often served to keep the stomach warm. Because it's easily digested, it is also served to those feeling under the weather.

Whereas arrozcaldo uses chicken, goto uses tripe, beef and internal organs. Meanwhile, lugaw is simply plain rice congee.

Bulalo is a tender beef shank soup with the marrow still inside the bone. A very flavorful and rich dish, it is a certified favorite during the rainy season. However, bulalo is high in cholesterol and calories.

A creamy and hearty soup ideal not just for the cold weather but also for giving relief to common rainy-day sicknesses such as cough, colds and fever. Sopas is made of elbow macaroni, milk, shredded veggies and chicken bits. (BANAT NEWS)