Intermezzo 7 - Xurros

We had our fair share of churros (Catalan: xurros) on our recent trip down the east coast of Spain - from convenience stores, to fast food chains, to dedicated churrerias run by aged members of the Gremi de Artesans Xurrers de Catalonia (yes, it exists). Our favourite rendition was served at a small storefront in Barcelona's El Born district - a friendly and unassuming husband-and-wife team with more than 40 years of experience run Xurreria Layetana.

Locals drift in and out for coffee, hot chocolate, or piping hot churros. Freshness counts - the old man was continuously frying up small batches of churros and porras (a larger, yeastier cousin). The texture of the churros here was remarkable - lighter than every other place we tried. No need for sugar on these - the light sweetness of the dough suffices. And that chocolate... nearly thick enough to hold a spoon upright. The damage? €3 - a steal for a breakfast of this quality.

Xocolata amb xurros - Xurreria Layetana, Barcelona, Spain (2014)