When it comes to sweet treats, every country has its specialties. One of Spain’s is the churro: deep-fried doughy fingers often dipped in melted chocolate. They’re a typical street food. What makes them so popular?
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00:00 Dipped in thick melted chocolate is how people enjoy me here in Madrid.
00:06 I'm the king of street food in Spain.
00:09 We are Spanish kings. Churros!
00:13 Let us tell you the do's and don'ts of churros and why Spaniards go crazy for us.
00:18 You stir it like this.
00:22 Delicious!
00:25 You dip it and you open your mouth really big.
00:30 We've been eating churros our whole lives. It's typical of Spain.
00:34 They're neither too salty nor too sweet. They have a neutral flavor.
00:38 We are widely thought of as a cure for hangovers and a treat for Sunday breakfast.
00:43 But we're much more than that.
00:46 In case you've never met us, we are crunchy sticks made of wheat flour, water and salt. Nothing more.
00:53 And if there's one man who knows us well, it's him.
00:56 Hi, I'm Rolando. I've been working here for more than 20 years and churros are my life.
01:00 Rolando Celi works at one of Spain's most popular churrerías, Chocolatería San Ginés, founded in 1894 in Madrid.
01:09 We're so popular that even really famous people come here to try us.
01:20 After mixing our only three ingredients together, the water must be hot. The hard work begins.
01:27 We mix the ingredients in circles so that the flour doesn't stick to the bottom.
01:33 And when it starts to get harder, we mix the dough with much more strength and we mix it well.
01:41 Then our friend Rolando puts the dough in a mold and then tosses us in boiling oil so we turn a nice golden brown.
01:47 Here in this tiny and really warm kitchen, they fry thousands of churro wheels every day.
01:53 I want to see how it's done.
02:01 I make one wheel in the oil, then another one, and I check that they have more or less the same color, the same golden brown.
02:08 I turn them over and I take them out so my colleagues can cut them into pieces.
02:13 But we're not here alone. We have big sisters, the porras, which look quite similar.
02:22 They're the ones who make the churros.
02:24 But we're not here alone. We have big sisters, the porras, which look quite similar.
02:31 But are much fluffier and bigger than we are, but not necessarily tastier.
02:35 As the Spanish kings of street food, we churros are often ordered to go.
02:41 But churrerías, our home turf, are quite popular all across Spain.
02:45 People of all ages come here for us. Let's see how they enjoy us.
02:53 When's the best time to eat us?
02:55 In the morning. But if you get one as a snack, you don't say no either.
02:59 What makes a good king churro?
03:03 Good churros have to have a good dough.
03:05 They should be crunchy, and they shouldn't be too oily.
03:08 And the chocolate is spectacular. Dark chocolate is very good.
03:12 Oh yes, hot, thick chocolate is our best friend.
03:19 Consistency and flavor are everything.
03:22 Liters of water and lots of chocolate powder are mixed here every day
03:27 and heated to a temperature of 90 degrees Celsius until it thickens.
03:31 Just imagine that mix.
03:37 There are many theories about our origins. Some say we had Arabic roots.
03:45 Others that we come from China and the recipe was brought to Europe in the 16th century.
03:49 The old Chinese churro, originating in the 12th century, is called yo chow
03:54 and is one of China's most popular street foods.
03:57 In Spain, you don't need a special occasion to enjoy us.
04:06 Our fans have us seven days a week. They can't ever get enough of us.
04:12 Monica Todica has been working at San Ginés since 2015.
04:16 The seasons are high and very high. We don't have a low season.
04:23 And the very high seasons are always full of people in the street, 24/7.
04:28 High season goes from September to mid-January.
04:31 We have a lot of people.
04:38 From September to mid-January.
04:42 And now for some do's and don'ts, my friends.
04:45 Do eat us warm. Don't you dare eat us cold.
04:48 Eat us using fingers. You don't need to get fancy with us.
04:52 Hot, thick chocolate or sugar. It's your choice.
04:58 All that makes us the kings of street food in Spain.
05:04 What do you think? Have you tried us yet?