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Spanish Churros – All About Churros Lazos + Porras

Spanish Churros – All About Churros Lazos + Porras

Spanish Churros

On the 7th Series of the Great British Bake Off (Series 7 Ep.4) the showstopper challenge was Spanish Churros. I noticed quite a few blips when they talked about Churros throughout the programme. The trend for churros in the UK even hit the supermarkets. One offered Churros with a savoury red pepper sauce this season. Not exactly authentically Spanish.

So lets take a look at Churros in more detail. Where does the tradition come from and how are they really eaten in Spain.

Churros for Breakfast

In Spain Churros are typical for Sunday breakfast or on festival days. It´s also popular to have them after a long night out at 6am before you totter home. Often people pop out on Sunday mornings to get a lot of Churros to take home to share with the family. You see them wrapped up in a white paper bundle.

Churros Street Food

Churros for Dessert ?

Spanish Churros are also eaten in the afternooon for a snack (particularly on rainy or cold days). In Southern Spain thats around 6pm or so.  (lunchtime is usually around 3.00pm and dinner 9.00pm or 9.30pm)

Churros are not eaten for dessert as they are fried and can feel a little heavy.  It´s a breakfast item or an afternoon snack in Spain.

The Origin of Churros

A history of Churros in Spain

Originally created by Spanish shepherds, they made this batter mix and used an open fire to heat the oil. As they were away from the village bakery this substituted baked goods when they were out on the hills. The name of Churros comes from the Churra sheep. The fried shapes are similar to the horns of the Churra sheep breed.

Buñuelos, which are oval shaped doughnut like treats are thought to be older than churros and are still made across Spain today. Locally in Granada province they are traditionally served with Sugar Cane Syrup/Molasses known as Miel de Caña. Of course sugar cane was available locally much earlier than chocolate was. 

Churros Granja La Pallaresa Petrixol Barcelona

Churros con Chocolate

There are some other references to the origin of this food being from China or Portugal. However most sources point to the Shepherds origin. I imagine that the history has been lost in time and it´s maybe a combination of the two. Churros is the plural version of the word and Churro singular.

You can taste a churro or eat some Churros. You can´t taste a Churros even if Paul Hollywood does ; )

Spanish Churros iced lazos

Different Kinds of Churros

Churros are made in a large round pan with oil. As they mentioned they drop the mix straight into the pan and each one comes out different. Sometimes they even make a wheel. A large spiral of churro mix.

The typical style is not filled or shaped in Spain. It´s just fried dough. Sometimes dusted with sugar on the outside. They serve it will thick dark chocolate or sometimes with café con leche.

Are churros vegan?

This depends on the way that they are made. Technically yes if the oil is plant based (olive or sunflower) as the flour mix does not contain animal products.  However you need to check as some churros are made in different oils or fats depending on the bar making them.

Spanish Churros and thick chocolate

Porras

To complicate matters some places in Spain call Churros by another name, Porras. It that depends on the region. In Andalucía Churros are slightly smoother and don´t have the ridged edges.

In Madrid to get Churros you need to ask for Porras which confuses me. Every. Single. Time.

Spanish Churros and Melindros with Chocolate at Granja Petrixol Barcelona

What are Porras?

These are ´sticks´ a little chunkier and sometimes filled with yellow or pink coloured cream or chocolate. You see this often a fairgrounds in Spain, next to the Candy floss.  The remind me slightly of Italian Cannoli.

Spanish Churros filled

Lazos

These are slimmer shaped. They link at the top in a teardrop shape and seem a little drier to me than the churros. You can also find them in the frozen section of Spanish supermarkets too. They are crispier and less spongey.

The photo below is of lazos in a paper cone.

Breakfast Melia Recoletos ValladolidChurros Recipe

So on the showstopper of last night Bake off the Winning Churros were the Tropical flavoured ones. Actually they are Lazos (bows) rather than Churros.

Here´s the recipe: BBC Food-Tropical Churros

Churros in Spain

And of course here´s the recipe for Proper Churros, Spanish Style BBC Good Food – Churros in case you were left actually wanting the proper ones.

Where to buy Spanish Churros

Some of the places I´ve enjoyed Churros over the years in Spain.

Churros in Madrid and beyond

      • Madrid –  The most iconic place is Chocolatería San Ginés, its been trading since 1894. You can even take the Guided tour of this emblematic place in the capital. Address: Pasadizo de San Ginés, 5, 28013 Madrid
      • Barcelona – Granja M Viader, Next to La Boqueria Market
      • Barcelona – Granja La Pallaresa on Calle Petrixol
      • Granada – Café Futbol on Plaza Marina Pineda

Churros in Seville Comercio

  • Marbella – Churrería Ramon on the corner of Plaza de los Naranjos in the Old Town. Probably the best I have ever had.
  • Seville – Bar El Comercio – Calle Lineros. Trading since 1904 its the most well known place to eat in or take away in Sevilla.
  • Malaga – Casa Aranda on Calle Herrería del Rey, close to Atarazanas Market has been trading since 1932.
  • El Puerto de Santa Maria – Los Churros de Charo at the Mercado de la Concepción Open from 8am to midday daily.
  • JaenMontana on Calle Cerón, 2, Jaén 
  • GijonCafé Dindurra or Café Central
  • El Campello / La Villajoyosa Alicante – Chocolateria Valor

Expect to pay around 4-5 euros for a hot chocolate and Churros for one.

 

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All thoughts, feelings and opinions shared on this blog and in this post are my own.
  1. Brian Neale says:

    There is also fartos which is similar to Churros and usually is covered with icing sugar. They are very tasty as I have tried them in Spain. Que Rico.

    • Molly says:

      Yes, thats right Fartóns (Spanish) or Fartós (Valenciá) are the perfect accompaniment to Horchata (Tiger Nut Drink) in the Valencia Region.

      They are different to churros as they have more ingredients. Milk, Eggs, Flour, Olive Oil and Sugar.

      Churros Porras, Lazos, Fartós… I´ll have one of each : )

  2. Brian Neale says:

    After visiting the Valor chocolate factory in Torrevieja one gets a bon for churros with a cup of hot thick chocolate from their cafe “Valor” in the mentioned town. The cafe is very very smart and the service is very good and the toilets are very clean and also very smart inside worth visiting as is the Valor Chocolate factory AND Museum i forgot the museum which is next to the factory.

    • Molly says:

      That´s right Brian!
      I visited that place this spring, the one in Villajoyosa…
      Great chocolate there… but I didnt try the churros that time.

  3. Janie says:

    I’m feeling agitated after watching gbbo. I had my first of many churros in Nalaga 40 years ago and will be back again in November. Don’t you want to scream the correct pronunciation of churro/paella/tapa?
    I agree – classic is best. I was always used to smooth churros taken from a huge spiral. What do Spanish people think? Do you have a good authentic recipe?

    • Molly says:

      Yes Janie the smooth churros cut from the spiral are the ones I eat around Andalusia
      There is a recipe in this post for the standard churros yes

  4. Jacqui says:

    Man, this is making me hungry!!

  5. Adrienne Justine says:

    Yum !! I had no clue there were so many different kinds. I love having them with cafe con leche 🙂

    • Molly says:

      Yes, I dont have them that often, it´s a special treat on a rainy day or something for a social breakfast

  6. kathy says:

    I had churros when I was in Jerez, Spain. They taste amazing. You have made me very hungry and a surprising urge to go back to Spain 🙂

  7. Nicole Janeway says:

    Great post on the nitty gritty details of churros! Glad you’re interested in portraying this fine desert with accuracy 🙂

    One interesting thing I learned in Barcelona is that it’s typical to eat “xocolata a la tassa” (Catalan for a piping hot cup of chocolate – basically the inside of a lava cake served in a mug ❤️) with lady finger cookies while in Madrid it’s more common to get this snack with churros.

    • Molly says:

      Yes that´s right, they serve then with ´Melindros´ sponge fingers in Barcelona
      I´ve had them too. They are less oily than churros.

  8. Caitlin says:

    You must be the biggest fan of Churros!!! I’ve never actually tried it in Spain – I’ll have to one day! I’ve always largely avoided churros here in Melbourne since it reminds me of donuts and I’m not a fan of donuts (poor excuse, really). For your love of them, one day I’ll try them! 😛

  9. Marie says:

    Yummmm, I love churros! Thank you for sharing the history 🙂

    And on those cooking shows, they always seem to distort things whenever asked to make anything remotely traditional… It’s all about “unique” flavors and “new” ways of cooking, when usually the classics are classic for a reason 😉

    My favorite was on a U.S. cooking show once, they asked contestants to use plantains in their dish. One of the contestants was talking about his “double-frying” method as if it were cutting-edge, and all of my Dominican friends were like… that’s just the normal way you make plantains. Haha!

  10. Jaye Shields says:

    I am suddenly hungry. Those look amazing!!!
    P.S. I love your blog banner picture

  11. Sabrina says:

    I love churros and I’m definitely going to try your recipes! thank you so much for sharing! yum! 🙂

  12. Perrisha says:

    Churros & ice-cream ♥

  13. Naomi says:

    I love this! Often food is adopted and adapted, but I like to stay true to the original in the original place. I had my churros in Barcelona, in a little shop in the Gotic quater and it was sinfully delicious!

  14. I still often dream about the churros I had in Granada! Your closeup shot of the churros literally has me salivating. I didn’t know about all the variation in names and shape!

  15. Joy Sheehan says:

    This post made me SO hungry! I need to get there and try ALL the kinds of churros! 😀

  16. MartaG says:

    Hi! This subject is so “me”, ha, ha
    In Barcelona, porra is the big product and churro the smaller product (around 7 cm). We usually have it for breakfast on Sundays. We love them with chocolate a la taza or also with suizo, which is chocolate a la taza + nata.

    • Molly says:

      Yes!
      In Barcelona there are lots of lovely places along the Calle Petritxol for churros.
      I remember enjoying a Suizo for my birthday one year. Such a treat.

      I think that each place in Spain has a different organization for their churros. In Cuidad Real you buy them per piece and they are called Tallos. (stalks)

  17. Sue Sharpe says:

    And don’t get me started on their pronunciation……………………..

    Great post, Molly – although I am a little hungry right now :-/

    • Molly says:

      Thanks Sue, it´s ages since I had Churros with the hot weather
      As it cools into Autumn I´ll be heading out to get some very soon in Granada.

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