The allure of the Spanish summer donut

Churros, commonly known as Spanish doughnuts, are said to have originated from shepherds. In ancient times, due to the harsh conditions of grazing animals in mountainous regions, fresh bread wasn't always readily available. To replace fresh bread, a simple and easy-to-make fried doughnut was created to meet the needs of the local population. In fact, there is a breed of sheep called "Navajo-Churro," derived from the Churra sheep of the Iberian Peninsula. The doughnuts resemble the horns of these sheep.

Another theory suggests that Portuguese sailors brought new recipes from Ming Dynasty Chinese cuisine to Europe. This included the technique of kneading youtiao dough (also known as youzagwei in southern China). However, because sharing knowledge with foreigners was a serious crime, instead of continuously pulling the dough like the Chinese, Europeans used a serrated piping tip to press it out.

Traditional churros are typically long, thin cylinders that are deep-fried until golden brown and crispy. They are then topped with a cinnamon sugar glaze. There are two types of churros in Spain: thin (sometimes knotted) and long and thick (porra). Both are commonly eaten for breakfast dipped in hot chocolate or café con leche.

Nowadays, there are many variations of churros, still topped with sugar and cinnamon, but the dough can be Oreo, pumpkin, etc., and the dipping sauce can be caramel, cheese, white chocolate, etc., depending on individual taste.