Belgian Chocolate Champorado

After enduring the sweltering heat at Bonifacio High Street yesterday, my sister Eileen and I rewarded ourselves with some ice-cold treats at the STOCK MARKET, which boasts of a well-stocked ice cream and yogurt bar plus a wide variety of scrumptious toppings. While Eileen ordered a helping of frozen yogurt with kiwi slices, preserved blueberries and almond slivers, I chose a more curious concoction: Belgian Chocolate Champorado.

A skeptic at first, I was delighted by what eventually greeted me: a steaming heap of short-grain rice flavored with deep, dark chocolate and topped with a scoop of luscious raspberry ice cream. My sister was quick to point out: it's much like a rich, moist fudge brownie a la mode. And right she was. Except the pudding had a much more interesting texture than any brownie can--suck on a spoonful and you'll know what I mean. Plus the contrast between the hot sticky rice and the frozen cream was a welcome sensation.

I would go back for a seconds. Even if a serving costs a hefty P195.

The Selecta Gold Series

I am no longer the ice cream junkie I was as a kid. But these days, when the air conditioner just can't douse anymore the searing heat that streaks through my parched window, I find myself visualizing scoops of those creamy frozen delights I enjoyed as a child.

Today, I sampled heaping spoonfuls of Selecta's Gold Series--yes, all three flavors. Perhaps I was badgered by the endless TV ads over the weekend. Or maybe I was intrigued by what chefs J Gamboa (Cirkulo), Sau del Rosario (Chelsea Market), and my former high school student Lando Laudico (Bistro Filipino) had to offer to all of us evading a heatstroke. Here's what I thought...

I started off with Chef Lando's CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES, which according to the merchandiser at the supermarket, was the most purchased flavor in the series. The cloud of ice cream in my spoon was dense, with a ribbon of dark fudge syrup and a chunk of chewy truffle embedded within. In my mouth, the texture was silky smooth (it must be all that butterfat) and the flavor, intensely chocolate, kicked up a notch by the richness of the truffle. Chocoholics beware.

Chef J's BERRY STRAWBERRY came next. Sucking on a spoonful, I was immediately awakened by a burst of fruit. This ice cream scrimps not on berry goodness--so unlike many others that taste more like milk with a hint of strawberry. The fruit pieces here add a textural contrast and a delightful tanginess that cuts through the thick vanilla cream. Yum.

Lastly, Chef Sau's HAZELNUT BROWNIE. Ok, another choco treat, but quite different from the first. More than nutty, the flavor is extremely buttery--a result of course of the hazelnut, which adds a charming twist to the already satisfying chocolate flavor (if only there were actual nuts in the concoction). The moist pieces of fudgey cake are a pleasant surprise too.

The ads on TV describe the Gold Series as the most decadent flavors of Selecta.  Hmm, I'm on the fence with this one. I guess I'm not certain these flavors are so luxuriously self-indulgent. Don't get me wrong--these are among the more luscious chocolate and strawberry ice creams available in the market today; I'd buy a tub of any in the series as soon as the mercury touches 37 degrees. But hey--though great, it's just chocolate and strawberry.

I guess my idea of decadent involves the exotic and brave flavors my tongue has yet to taste--a curious concoction that excites my fancy, urges me to dare, and ultimately gratifies.  Maybe white chocolate raspberry truffle, or espresso and sesame brittle, or passion fruit and ginger spice. I don't know; maybe I'll be more certain when that flavor greets me from the supermarket freezers.

What is certain is that Selecta has been a tad careful here, selecting flavors that are guaranteed to sell (how can one go wrong with chocolate or strawberry) but making sure these flavors are the best they can be while keeping prices competitive and affordable. Would I recommend the Selecta Gold Series to friends? Why, yes--ice cream is all good, and these are better than most (kudos to the chefs). But as soon as I consume the three unfinished tubs in my freezer, I'll be on the hunt for a new flavor.

SELECTA GOLD SERIES PRICE LIST:

1.66L--P275.00

800ml--P160.00

465ml--P105.00