"Madrid's churros are eaten at midnight or 7 a.m. Both are correct. The chocolate must be thick enough to stay on the churro without dripping."
About Churros con Chocolate
Madrid's legendary breakfast indulgence, ridged, star-shaped fried dough dusted with sugar and served with a cup of hot chocolate so thick it must be stirred before drinking; the Chocolatería San Ginés on Calle Pasadizo de San Ginés has served them since 1894 and has never closed; the ultimate remedy for a long Madrid night.
Churros con Chocolate, a staple of Spain's cuisine
Madrid at Midnight
Churros are ridged, star-extruded lengths of fried dough, dusted with sugar and eaten with a cup of hot chocolate thick enough to stand a spoon in. In Madrid they are eaten at midnight as the close of a long night, or at dawn as the start of a new day. The famous Chocolateria San Gines has served them both ways since 1894 and barely closes.
The Chocolate
Spanish chocolate a la taza is not a drink so much as a sauce. Thickened with a little starch, it is poured thick and clings to the churro rather than running off, dark and only lightly sweet. The dipping, not sipping, is the point, and the chocolate is judged on how well it coats.
The Dough and the Fry
Churros are made from a simple flour-and-water dough piped through a star nozzle into hot oil, which gives the ridged surface that crisps so well. The thicker, softer cousin, the porra, holds more chocolate and is common in Madrid. Both are best straight from the fryer, when the outside crackles and the inside stays tender.
A Nocturnal Ritual
Churros con chocolate is the taste of Madrid's late hours, a city that treats midnight as a reasonable time to eat and churros as a sensible way to end the night. It is shared, dipped and eaten standing or crowded around a marble table. Few foods are so tied to a city's particular sense of time.
What to Expect
At San Ginés at midnight the churros arrive in a basket, the sugar still settling. The chocolate comes in a wide mug. The diner dips and eats. The chocolate coats the churro in a thick layer. This is the correct ending to any long Madrid evening.
Why Try It
Churros con chocolate is the taste of Madrid's nocturnal character, a city that considers midnight a reasonable dinner hour and churros a responsible way to end it.
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Insider Tips
Chocolatería San Ginés on Pasadizo de San Ginés is the only address that matters.
Eat the porras version (longer, thicker churros) if available. They hold the chocolate better.
The chocolate should be ordered thick (espeso), worth specifying when ordering.
