I absolutely loved reading this - I knew literally nothing about churros other than the cliché Disneyland bit. This is so cool. Porras remind me of a Chinese dough called "Youtiao" which translates to 'fried dough.' It's a bit chewy and slightly salted and typically eaten with Chinese porridge for breakfast or dipped in sweetened soy milk, which doesn't sound the most appealing. 😅 I've only ever eaten it dry and I'm not a huge fan, but my mum loves it as it's something she ate as a child in Hong Kong.
Thanks for sharing about the “youtiao”! That’s actually one of the foods referenced in the articles I read that claimed maybe churros came from China. Your description does sound a lot like porras! Dipping them in sweetened soy milk actually sounds kind of good to me 😂
¡Me encantan los churros y las porras! I adore churros and porras!
I was so impressed when a student from South Korea told me they also eat churros there!
I have to confess both, my son and I are chocolate lovers and from time to time go to a special "churrería" here in my city and share a fantastic cup of chocolate with churros. ¡Superior! 😀
That’s such a lovely memory, Cristina! Re: the song, are chicharrones de puerco in Mexico the same thing as what are called torreznos here in Spain? Basically pork rinds?
I am sure it's the same even if preparation is slightly different.
A couple of times I tried to make them at home. The first time, more by accident, they turned out well. The second time they were very hard, kind of like plastic. Maybe I did not have a good recipe to follow.
I would have to go to another neighborhood and find a market in a more Mexican area to get freshly made chicharrones. Like roughly cut pieces of pork skin, fried until crispy and curled up. Sometimes a little meat and fat still attached, a few bristles showing.
They might be piled in a glass case. You tell the butcher how much you want and he weighs it.
I am in a different neighborhood. I can buy chicharrones at the marked or health food store, but these are sealed in a bag, highly processed, no bristles or irregularities, crispy and dry. Almost like styrofoam. Sometimes I use them for croutons on soup. I think some people use them for Keto diets.
Yes, I think they’re the same thing! Usually there’s some meat and fat attached here. I’ve seen the processed ones, too, but I think the ones that people make at home/eat at restaurants are more popular.
Do you know what? I don't think I've ever had a traditional churro. Also: interestingly I hate showing people around London and around where I live but I loved doing it in Los Angeles, because I don't think it is a great place for tourists but it is a great city to love and I always loved showing off all the locals only spots and activities!
I would definitely air mail you some churros if only they wouldn’t get soggy and totally disgusting during the trip 😂 I feel like you have to remedy this the next time you’re in Spain!
I’ve never been to LA! I’ve been to California a handful of times, but only in the Bay Area.
Is there something in particular that you don’t like about showing people around London and where you live? I’ve also never been to London (other than the airport, which clearly doesn’t count), and I feel embarrassed to admit this to the Substack world 🫣
Don't - though you need to visit! Honestly, I don't know. Perhaps it is some unfair internalised resentment, as tourists to London made London harder to live in?
That makes sense to me! When I lived in Chicago I walked down Michigan Avenue (the famous shopping street) every day on my way home from work and the globs of tourists could get annoying. I’m normally fairly patient, but I’m a fast walker so getting stuck behind people strolling leisurely when I was just trying to get home from work was painful haha
I absolutely loved reading this - I knew literally nothing about churros other than the cliché Disneyland bit. This is so cool. Porras remind me of a Chinese dough called "Youtiao" which translates to 'fried dough.' It's a bit chewy and slightly salted and typically eaten with Chinese porridge for breakfast or dipped in sweetened soy milk, which doesn't sound the most appealing. 😅 I've only ever eaten it dry and I'm not a huge fan, but my mum loves it as it's something she ate as a child in Hong Kong.
Thanks for sharing about the “youtiao”! That’s actually one of the foods referenced in the articles I read that claimed maybe churros came from China. Your description does sound a lot like porras! Dipping them in sweetened soy milk actually sounds kind of good to me 😂
Divine!!! 😋
Thanks, Jolene! 😊
¡Me encantan los churros y las porras! I adore churros and porras!
I was so impressed when a student from South Korea told me they also eat churros there!
I have to confess both, my son and I are chocolate lovers and from time to time go to a special "churrería" here in my city and share a fantastic cup of chocolate with churros. ¡Superior! 😀
I love the tradition of going for churros and chocolate with your son! All of this churro talk has made me crave them 😂
As a child in Mexico I remember buying them off something like a pushcart. But this was a rare and exceptional treat, not everyday.
Then we sang a silly song but I only have a fragment and probably very misspelled. Could have been a parody of a popular song:
Melodia de amor
Chicharrones de puerco
Churros a toston, grandes a million
That’s such a lovely memory, Cristina! Re: the song, are chicharrones de puerco in Mexico the same thing as what are called torreznos here in Spain? Basically pork rinds?
I am sure it's the same even if preparation is slightly different.
A couple of times I tried to make them at home. The first time, more by accident, they turned out well. The second time they were very hard, kind of like plastic. Maybe I did not have a good recipe to follow.
I would have to go to another neighborhood and find a market in a more Mexican area to get freshly made chicharrones. Like roughly cut pieces of pork skin, fried until crispy and curled up. Sometimes a little meat and fat still attached, a few bristles showing.
They might be piled in a glass case. You tell the butcher how much you want and he weighs it.
I am in a different neighborhood. I can buy chicharrones at the marked or health food store, but these are sealed in a bag, highly processed, no bristles or irregularities, crispy and dry. Almost like styrofoam. Sometimes I use them for croutons on soup. I think some people use them for Keto diets.
Here is one brand with high ideals: 4505meats.com
Yes, I think they’re the same thing! Usually there’s some meat and fat attached here. I’ve seen the processed ones, too, but I think the ones that people make at home/eat at restaurants are more popular.
Do you know what? I don't think I've ever had a traditional churro. Also: interestingly I hate showing people around London and around where I live but I loved doing it in Los Angeles, because I don't think it is a great place for tourists but it is a great city to love and I always loved showing off all the locals only spots and activities!
I would definitely air mail you some churros if only they wouldn’t get soggy and totally disgusting during the trip 😂 I feel like you have to remedy this the next time you’re in Spain!
I’ve never been to LA! I’ve been to California a handful of times, but only in the Bay Area.
Is there something in particular that you don’t like about showing people around London and where you live? I’ve also never been to London (other than the airport, which clearly doesn’t count), and I feel embarrassed to admit this to the Substack world 🫣
Don't - though you need to visit! Honestly, I don't know. Perhaps it is some unfair internalised resentment, as tourists to London made London harder to live in?
That makes sense to me! When I lived in Chicago I walked down Michigan Avenue (the famous shopping street) every day on my way home from work and the globs of tourists could get annoying. I’m normally fairly patient, but I’m a fast walker so getting stuck behind people strolling leisurely when I was just trying to get home from work was painful haha
Loved this issue! Now I want all the churros.
Why don't we just write about churros all the time? I don't think anyone would mind.
Hahaha I certainly wouldn’t mind! I could start my own churro review blog where I try and rate all the churro places in the city 😂