As I entered the Spanish cafe, I was immediately greeted by warm lighting, the gentle hum of unintelligible conversations, and, of course, the inviting scent of baked goods. I looked through the window display, weighing each of the options that were available to me. But as I scanned the endless options of empanadas, croissants, and other foods, my mind was set on one thing: churros dipped in chocolate. My eyes immediately set their focus on the plate stacked high with the curled, fried dough, making its way to a nearby table. Among the traditional Spanish foods I knew of, churros were the ones I was most excited about. I already knew I loved the American version, so I was prepared to be blown away by the original. 

When the dessert arrived, though, I couldn’t help but feel slightly let down. If you have ever had churros here in the US, you most likely imagine them coated in a generous amount of cinnamon sugar. These churros were practically bare, with no sugar whatsoever. I was so puzzled by this drastic change that I assumed it was a fluke. But each store I visited offered the same, unsweetened churros, and no matter how much I tried to enjoy them, my mind unfortunately was unamused. I don’t know if as an American I always crave things to be more unhealthy than they need to be, but they were nowhere close to sweet enough for my taste. Without the sugary coating, the treat just felt like it was missing something. 

This mystery was so important for me to crack, that I took to the internet. Interestingly, I found that the difference between the churros I was used to, and the ones I had tried, was that Spanish churros were not meant to be sweet! They are not truly a dessert item and are more often eaten for breakfast or snacks. Rolling them in sugar was optional and didn’t include cinnamon, which I found disappointing, since I was used to my usual cinnamon-y churros. 

The dish was not completely hopeless, as the texture of the churros themselves was close to perfection, and the hot chocolate that accompanied the churros was very sweet and rich. Dipping them in it, almost made up for their lack of sweetness. Almost. So if you are visiting Spain, and are used to the American style of churros, don’t avoid churros altogether. But you may want to prepare yourself for an experience different from what you’re expecting.