Lovely, warm deep-fried pastry topped with sugar and dipped in thick chocolate and served warm with a cup of coffee. What could be better than that?
Churros are traditionally shaped like a spiral or a curl. The word "churro" is thought to come from the Spanish verb "churrear," which means "to make curly". A churro is a fried pastry topped with sugar, that should be eaten when they come directly out of the frier. It is a long, thin dough that is deep-fried in hot oil and coated with sugar and traditionally served with a rich, thick hot chocolate. Churros are served at breakfast, as a dessert and are common street food eaten any time of the day. Pretty much any time of the day is an excellent time to eat a churro. The most popular way to eat this treat is by dipping them into rich hot chocolate.
The history of Churros
The origin of churros is unclear and every country with a culture of eating churros has a different story about the origin of this treat. Mexicans believe that the Churro is entirely their creation. Meanwhile, the Spanish believe that Churros were introduced to South America during the Spanish Inquisition in the 1500s, at the same time as the cocoa trade.
The Spanish legend claims that the churro came from Spanish shepherds who lived in the mountains that did not have access to bakeries. Churro paste was easy to make and fry on an open fire in the mountains, where shepherds spend most of their time. They believe that the word Churros was named after the Iberian Peninsula called the “Churra” sheep, which is where the Spanish think the name Churro originated.
One Portuguese theory is that Churros were brought to Europe from China by the Portuguese. The Portuguese sailed for the Orient and as they returned from Ming-dynasty China, they discovered a Chines food called “Youtiao” which is similar to a doughnut. We will probably never know where churros originated from, but what we know is that similar pastries have been eaten for a long, long time. According to food historian Michael Krondl, today’s churro is not that different from a recipe for a "flour and water fritter" which is to be found in Apicius, a Roman cookbook dating from the 1st Century AD. There are some similar recipes made by Ancient Greeks that probably predate the Roman cookbook as well. So the pastry has basically been around forever and we can say for sure, that the churro is here to stay.
Churros are enjoyed in many countries
Churros are enjoyed in many places around the world and in equally many ways.
Traditional Spanish Churros, are coated with sugar and served with a rich, thick hot chocolate. In Portugal, there are two slightly different snacks called Porra and Fartura, which are filled with jelly. In the Philippines, churros are typically straight or bent into U-shapes or circular shapes usually dusted with white sugar.
Mexican churros are coated in a cinnamon-sugar mixture and served with chocolate, caramel, or whipped cream or eaten plain. In Brazil, you’ll find churros for dipping in Doce de Leite, their version of caramel. In Cuba, the churros are stuffed with guava-filling and Nicaragua has a cheese-filled savoury version.
Churro recipe
No matter where Churros come from, how they are eaten or served it is an absolute treat, enjoyed by millions. If you want to give it a try at home, Check out this recipe. Churros are pretty easy to make and well worth a try.
You need:
Oil, for frying
120 ml water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
120 ml of white flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
Sugar to taste, optional
How you make it:
Pour the oil into a large heavy-bottomed saucepan and place it on the stove over medium-high heat.
In a separate medium-sized saucepan, add the water, vegetable oil, salt, and sugar and bring the mixture to a boil.
Once the water mixture reaches a boil, slowly pour it into the flour and baking powder while stirring with a fork until the dough is smooth and without lumps.
Immediately spoon the dough into a pastry bag and carefully squeeze the dough into the hot oil.
Fry the churros until golden brown and remove them from the oil.
Place them on a paper towel to drain.
Serve with a sprinkle of white sugar and hot chocolate.
