Churro
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A churro is a fried-dough pastry-based snack which originated in Spain, and is popular in Latin America, France, Portugal, the USA, and Spanish-speaking Caribbean islands. It is sometimes referred to as a Spanish doughnut or Mexican doughnut. The churro is similar in shape to the horns of the Churro breed of sheep which is reared in the Spanish grasslands. Porras are similar but with a round thicker cross section, so named due to the fact that they usually resemble the form of a club.
The churro is typically fried to a crunchy consistency. Its surface is ridged due to being extruded from a churrera, a syringe with a star-shaped nozzle (round for porras). Churros are generally prisms in shape, but instead of being straight they may be curled or spirally twisted.
Like pretzels, churros are often sold by street vendors who in many cases will fry them freshly on the street stand and sell them warm or hot. In Spain, they are available in cafes for breakfast, although they may be found throughout the day and night as a snack. Specialized churrerías can be found as street shops or as towable wagons in local fiestas. In Andalusia (Spain), they are sold as spirals or "wheels" of deep-oil fried wheat flour dough, cut into manageable portions after the frying. These are called Calentitos or Calientes, as opposed to the potato dough version made in the rest of Spain, also sold in the region but under the name Calentitos de Papas.
Filled straight churros are found in Cuba (with fruit, such as guava), Brazil (with chocolate, doce de leite, among others), and in Argentina (usually filled with dulce de leche, but also with chocolate and vanilla). In Spain they have a considerably wider diameter to allow for the filling.
Outside of Hispanic street stands and eating establishments, churros can be difficult to find in the US. Churro stands are found throughout Disney theme parks, which is where Americans often encounter churros for the first time. In fact, in many parts of the US they are only available at fairs, carnivals, theme parks, and sports stadiums (where they are extremely prolific).
A sweet Turkish 'fluted fritter', which seems to look similar to churros, is called Tulumba Tatlisi.
