There is a delicious rumor of a delightful dessert that has been perfected in Spain. A magical, savory, sweet, rich, decadent, marvelous, elation-inducing Spanish treat...known locally as "churros con chocolate".
It is NOT like the fat sugary churros we Americanos buy at amusement parks. The chocolate is NOT your average package of Swiss Miss.
No...this is an entirely different animal altogether.
Jason and I had hunted for churros con chocolate in Barcelona...discovering the famous place where they are supposedly THE BEST...approximately 15 minutes after the churro-maker had gone home for the day.
Undaunted, we picked up our quest in Madrid.
Along the way, we discovered many other famous Spanish treats...the famous Orxata drink (made from chufa nuts), Torron (kind of like an almond bark)...and in Toledo...mazapan (but that, my friends, is a different story). And of course, I sampled chocolate every where I could. (Most chocolate in Spain is NOT sweet...much more like dark chocolate...so I could eat it all day).
Our hunt also took us on a tour of downtown Madrid, where we discovered many beautiful sights and treasures...
...the very center of Spain...from which all stories start...
We toured the Royal Palace...
...and spied upon the adjacent Cathedral.
We looked for the treasured symbols of Madrid, such as this Bear and Madrono tree (the bears are all extinct, but their are still Madrono trees)...
...and the monument to King Carlos III, the "Mayor of Madrid", a king that believed in improving his cities for the people, and subsequent hero of this city.
We found many, many interesting places to eat as well...
...for example, another market. Unlike the bustling Boqueria in Barcelona, this market was orderly, refined, and upscale. It still had the amazing selection of produce and meats and various other goodies, but lacked the scale and local color of the Boqueria in Barcelona...
That doesn't mean that I wasn't just as enthralled with the wares...
...we also found a Puerte de Sol institution, La Mallorquina, a bakery famous for it's napolitanas and rosquillas (of which I tried both...rosquillas are like Spanish donuts...splurge for the ones that are listas..."all dressed up").
There's something utterly charming about getting your bakery purchases all wrapped up and tied with a string, isn't there?
By time Jason had explored this slightly disturbing meat locker, I had begun to lose hope. But then, we stumbled upon friends, who inspired us onward, and with the help of a a couple locals, we wandered down a twisting alley...
...into another, smaller alley...and came upon the local-kept secret of the BEST chocolateria in Madrid...
...San Gines...selling freshly made savory churros with thick, decadent hot chocolate (or cafe, if you prefer) since 1894...
We snagged a table outside (after I had been yelled out for my enthusiasm by the girl behind the counter...in ENGLISH, mind you...)...and placed our order...
My sweetie, who has indulged my quest all day, is grateful for a chance to rest his aching feet...
...and ur friends, who urged us not to give up, joined us to relish in the spoils of conquest.
And here it is!! The source of my angst and desperation...the famed "churros con chocolate"...piping hot and rich and, can I just say...AMAZING!!!
So now I must go...because it's time to dig in...
Thank you, Espana...I love you more and more each day...
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