Exploring Spanish Churros and Porras: A Tasty Treat Adventure

Spanish churros and porras, along with hot chocolate

Churros and Porras are a beloved Spanish breakfast or mid-day snack, alongside coffee or thick hot chocolate.

Every culture has some kind of variation of simple fried dough, made of water and flour. Apicius is the oldest cookbook known, and holds recipes of Imperial Rome. It was compiled in the 1st century CE. The book mentioned water and flour fried dough, so it is believed that that's how churros started out.

One legend says that churros were invented by shepherds in the mountains, as they fried strips of dough. They were named after the Churra sheep because the shape of its horns resembles the shape of churros.

Churros are now made by piping the dough with a pastry bag, through a star-shaped tip.

The chocolate part came in later, when the Spanish brought it back from the Aztecs in the 1500s. For the Aztecs, chocolate was a special drink only consumed by the elite during ceremonies.

So, at some point after that, someone had a genius idea of dipping the churros in the chocolate beverage. It went on to be famous around the world, a fiesta and fair favorite.

During our Spanish travels, I found that there is another type of churro, called Porras. For research purposes, I decided that I have to sample both.

I had churros before, in different places of the world- other European countries, the US, and Mexico. But they don't make a good name for the original churros. The ones I had tried so far were dry, full of crunchy sugar, and served with an overly sweet dip. In Mexico, they're always in cinnamon sugar. But even there, the churros were dry and too dense. I did have one dessert that paired churros with ice cream and chocolate sauce, which was great.

In Spain, I can see why churros are so popular. They're fresh, crunchy on the outside, and soft on the inside. You enjoy them with a cup of thick hot chocolate, there's no need for added sugar. This hot chocolate is unique, rich, and sweet without being heavy and overwhelming. It is a perfect pair.

I got to try churros in a café in Valencia called Orxateria Santa Catalina. It is a spacious café beautifully decorated with tiles. They have many other tasty pastries, and of course, horchata. Horchata is a popular local drink made with tiger nuts or other plant-based beverages, like almond milk. This café is one of the oldest, with two centuries of tradition.

My next stop was at Chocolateria Valor, to sample their famous treats. This chocolate company was founded in 1881, so it also has much experience in chocolate treats. It had been about a week since the churros, and I was craving them again.

As luck would have it, the Chocolateria Valor I visited only served porras. They have baking soda added to the water and flour, which makes them fluff up. Porras are thicker and softer than the usual churros, and more airy. They do a good job holding onto the hot chocolate, but the texture is not as satisfying, in my opinion. They can become a bit oily, too.

The name for porras derives from "pórra", which means "club" (as in weapon) in Spanish.

After all my research, I recommend trying both when you have the chance. I do recommend visiting Orxateria Santa Catalina, it's beautiful. And it's right in the historic area of Valencia, close to other attractions. Experiencing traditional treats locally is always the best way to experience a different culture. Let me know your favorite!