Churros are the local breakfast of champions, delicious, deep-fried wands of dough that are the perfect way to set you up for the day. On the Canaries they’re just as popular as they are elsewhere in Spain and are a tradition well worth discovering. Here are a few of our favourite churrerías.
In bars and cafés, churros are usually prepared and served in the morning and the traditional way to eat them is dipped into a cup of gloopy hot chocolate. However, many simply empty a sachet of sugar on their plate and dip the churros in this. You’ll also see churro stalls at fairs and markets.
Churros are usually around 6 inches in length, and you’ll usually get about six per ración, but you can also find larger, longer ones called porras, (if you’re ordering, be careful with that word ending, as a porro with an o is a spliff).
Churros are prepared in a large vat of heated vegetable oil, into which a special dispenser squirts the dough mixture while the chef stirs to form a spiral shape. Using a pair of huge chopsticks, the cook handles the spiral and removes it, draining it and immediately slicing it into smaller lengths ready for serving.
The one unbreakable rule with churros is that they have to be fresh – served up at your table or hurried home in a paper bag.
Here are a few of our favourite churrerías, but we’d love more recommendations, so why not let us know where you get your churros?
Churrería Tello y Aya, Avenida Central 82, Tias: The Gazette’s favourite – a Tías treasure where owner Antonio prepares churros the traditional way.
Cafetería Churrería San Francisco, Calle Real, Arrecife: Approaching its 50th year in business, this iconic cafe on Arrecife’s main shopping street is probably the best-known churrería on the island.
Cafetería at BP garage, Carretera Los Mármoles 2, Arrecife: This cafetería, opposite the Tráfico building in Arrecife, is famed for its fresh churros.
And what’s a good churro without a tasty coffee? Read our article on how to order coffee like a Lanzarote local.
