Churros con Chocolate

Churros are a typical Spanish delicacy, and a very tasty one! They are fried sticks of dough, which look a bit like long donuts, which are eaten dipped into a rich chocolate sauce.

The name churro is thought to originate from “Churra” which is a breed of sheep. Churros were eaten by farmers in the mountains as they didn't require any fresh ingredients. The horns of the churra sheep resembled the shape of the churros and so this is supposedly how they got their name.

I had my first lot of churros here in Salamanca around breakfast time, the time of day when churros are most traditionally eaten. I was waiting in a queque to sign up for university sports classes and some Spaniards had come prepared with churros!

One girl had brought a thermos flask of hot dipping chocolate that she had made herself at home. While she joked to her friends that she had made it to her grandmothers recipe having got up at five to do so, in fact the dipping sauce can be bought in supermarkets and this was what she had done. When her friend arrived with the churros in hand they were kind enough to let me join them for their breakfast whilst we waited. These proved a welcome treat – and a great way to start the day!

My second lot of churros were sampled in a more traditional setting, in a café here in Salamanca. I had been walking around the city doing some sight seeing and had become so cold that I decided to head indoors. I opted for some churros thinking the rich warm chocolate would heat me up.

Finally I enjoyed my most recent churros at the end of an evening out with some friends. We decided to head to the “churreria” a shop which sells only churros on our way home. This time the churros proved an excellent late night snack. We certainly all went to bed feeling like we'd eaten well!

Photo by: Juantiagues.