Executive summary by darmansjah
The Spanish take on a doughnut, the churro is a long,
delicately-ridged tube (the dough is piped through a star-shaped nozzle) that’s
deep-fried until golden, dusted with sugar-or sometimes cinnamon-and then
dunked into thick hot chocolate. Sold in churrerias
and from stalls in the street, this is an Iberian breakfast to beat them all.
ORIGIN The
churro sheep was a breed known for the quality of its wool. The shepherds who
looked after them were only able to cary the basics, which in Spain was fried
bread-simple and easy to cook on the go. Sugar was later sprinkled on top and
the star shaped form became popular, allowing the outside to crisp up while the
centre remains soft. In some parts of the country, these deep-fried treats are
knowns as porras.
TASTING You have the hangover to end them all-the sort that
renders normal conversation impossible. Even thinking hurts. However, you catch
the scent of sweet, frying dough, stop and look around, and spot the stall. A
great vat is filled with boiling oil and the fresh dough, pushed through that
star shaped nozzle, is plopped in. there is a delectable sizzle; no more than a
minute passes before the crisp, piping-hot tubes are sieved out, drained and
sprinkled with sugar. The first bite is red-hot and deeply addivtive-a crunch
followed by blissful softness. A few more bites and it’s gone. The second
churro disappears in record time. By the
time the hot chocolate arrive, you’re coming back to life, your grimace
replaced by a sugary grin.
FINDING IT The chocolateria San Gines in Madrid serves some
of the finest churros in the country (US$2.60-US$5.60; 00 34 91 365 65 46).
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