Will Travel for Tapas

I learned about chocolate and churros when I first started researching the regional specialties of Spain.  I read that it was a tradition in Madrid to indulge in the duo either at breakfast or during the very late night/early morning hours.  I was immediately in love with the idea of dipping hot, sweet churros into thick, dark drinking chocolate. 

Flashback:

On my trip, I tried to eat everything in its place.  There was no way, however, that I was going to wait until the end of my trip to try chocolate and churros in Madrid.  I tasted it in Valencia, my very first stop. 

I chose a xocolateria called L’Orxateria right beside Mercado Central.  The dark chocolate was delicious, though so thick and rich that I could only drink half before it was no longer a pleasant extravagance.  The churros, short rods of fried dough, were served cold and greasy.  I felt like I ruined good chocolate when I dipped the oily churros. 

I was disappointed in my first chocolate and churros tasting, but I figured they must be better in Madrid.  Though you can find the combination in almost any city, I held off until I was back in the capital.  There were plenty of other treats to taste in the meantime.

In Madrid, over a month later…

In the morning, many bars had cold platters of churros on the counter, in place of the evening tapas.  (I saw a spot that kept tall stacks in a glass case all day long.)  While waiting for my laundry, I ordered a churro for breakfast at onesuch bar.  It tasted tragically of old, unchanged fryer oil. 

I didn’t give up on churros.  I had faith that I just needed to go to a churreria or chocolateria, which specialize in the pairing. 

I started at Chocolat (Calle Santa Maria 30).  Its menu boasts ”churros caliente.”  Nevertheless, when they arrived seconds later, they were stone cold.  I took them back to the counter and asked, “Es posible caliente?”  They put some new ones in the fryer, while I shifted my focus to the goblet of drinking chocolate.  This chocolate was made of a very good, very dark chocolate, though it was only slightly thicker than American milk-based hot chocolate.  When my fresh churros arrived, they were perfectly hot and ungreasy.  Chowing down, however, the batter was bitter.  While I know that Spanish churros are not as sweet as those in Mexico, I followed the example of others around me, taking two sugar packets and sprinkling their contents over my churros.  I liked the churros better with sugar, but ultimately they were just a ridged vehicle for the chocolate.  This might have been fine if the chocolate had been thicker, so it could cling to the churro. 

Unsatisfied, that same night, I made a midnight trip to Chocolateria San Gines (Calle Pasadizo De San Gines 5).  One of the most famous destinations for chocolate and churros, it is open all night long.  Discussing churros, a couple of Madrilenos guaranteed that I would not get cold ones at San Gines.  I left them and went straight there, ready to finally taste the chocolate and churros of my dreams.  When the server brought my order, I immediately touched the churros… and they were cold.  I couldn’t believe it.  Once again, I sent them back, asking for hot churros.  The chocolate part of the equation was equally disappointing.  It was appropriately thick, but I could taste that it had been made so with cornstarch.  As it sat, it became too thick to drink, no longer even appetizing.  (The Food Network website has a recipe for San Gines’ chocolate and churros.  Indeed, their version is made with chocolate, milk, cornstarch, and sugar.)

I never found that idyllic combination of chocolate and churros.  I still hope it exists.  Next time I go to Spain, I’d like to try Valor, which has locations all over the country.  (Any other recommendations?)

While there are no churros to be had at La Mallorquina (Puerta del Sol 8), I did find a pretty perfect hot chocolate there.  It was both decidedly dark and seriously sweet.  It was as thick as could be, while still being smoothly sippable.  I was assured that the only ingredients are chocolate, cream, and sugar.  (Essentially then, it is like drinking a sweetened chocolate ganache.)  Despite the rich ingredients, it wasn’t overwhelming; this is the only drinking chocolate I tasted that was good to the last drop.

La Mallorquina is a pasteleria.  While there are no churros, there are plenty of other decadences to soothe a sweet tooth.  The counters are lined with small plates, each with an individual serving of cake or pastry.  Just point to pick.