Churros

Ridged, star-shaped ropes of choux-like wheat dough, extruded into hot oil and fried until the exterior is deeply golden and crackling, then showered with cinnamon sugar and plunged into a thick, dark Spanish drinking chocolate. Churros con chocolate is the ultimate Spanish breakfast: indulgent, aromatic, and consumed with the absolute conviction that nothing more is needed.

Origin: Madrid & Castile, Spain

From the journey of Wheat.

Churros have disputed origins: one tradition holds they were developed by Spanish shepherds who cooked simple dough in frying pans as an alternative to fresh bread in the mountains. Another credits Spanish trade with China via Manila in the 16th century, suggesting they were inspired by Chinese youtiao (oil-fried dough sticks). Whatever their origin, churros became inseparable from Spanish culture and spread across Latin America with the colonial period, where each country developed its own form: thicker in Mexico, sweeter in Argentina, filled with dulce de leche in Uruguay.

Ingredients

  • 250 ml water
  • 150 g plain flour
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp olive oil or neutral oil
  • for deep frying Vegetable oil
  • 4 tbsp caster sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 200 g dark chocolate (70%), chopped
  • 300 ml whole milk
  • 1 tbsp cornflour
  • 2 tbsp sugar

Method

  1. Bring water, salt and oil to a rolling boil. Remove from heat, pour in flour all at once, stir vigorously until a smooth dough forms and pulls away from the sides. Cool 5 minutes.
  2. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle.
  3. Heat oil to 180°C. Pipe 15cm lengths directly into the oil, cutting with scissors. Fry for 3–4 minutes turning once, until deep golden. Do not crowd the pan.
  4. Drain on paper. Immediately roll in cinnamon sugar while hot.
  5. For the chocolate: dissolve cornflour in a little cold milk. Heat remaining milk with sugar and chocolate, stirring until melted. Add cornflour mixture and stir over low heat until thickened to a dipping consistency.
  6. Serve churros immediately with the hot chocolate in cups or small bowls.
The Gastrographer

The Gastrographer

Mapping Culinary History

To explore — select an ingredient below.

Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route
Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control
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