CHOCOLATERIA SAN GINES – CHURROS & CHOCOLATE IN MADRID, SPAIN

CHOCOLATERIA SAN GINES – CHURROS & CHOCOLATE IN MADRID, SPAIN

As a first generation American of Spanish descent, I have visited Spain many, many times over the course of my lifetime.  My father was raised in Spain and although he no longer lives there, Spain will always be his home.  At the age of 11 he took me to Madrid for the first time.  He dragged me to the Prado and the Palaces and the Parks, but he also enjoyed fine dining and good food, so everywhere we went we never missed an opportunity to enjoy the best food in town.  So, although my early childhood memories of the historic monuments of Madrid are now dim, I can remember my first visit to Chocolateria San Ginés for Chocolate and Churros like it was yesterday! And although Austin (my youngest son) was now on his 3rd trip to Spain, this visit I was going to introduce him to this glorious institution for the first time!

One of the best things about our Spain Select vacation rental apartment in Madrid was that it was a very short walk to this emporium of wonderfulness. Our days were not complete without a visit, or two.

I justified my daily pilgrimage to the place by the fact that it was, after all, an uphill climb to get there. Surely that was good for burning at least a few of the calories we would consume with this daily indulgence.

Hot chocolate in Spain bears little resemblance to its counterpart in America.   Spanish chocolate is designed for dipping, so it has the consistency of something more like a warm, soft pudding.  Not overly sweet, it is made by melting hard chocolate bars into warm milk while whisking it by hand with a wooden tool designed just for this purpose.  This is how I remember my Spanish Grandmother making it for me.

I imagine here at the Chocolateria San Ginés they use a decidedly more automated method.  In either case, the result is warm, comforting and utterly delicious!

One consumes one’s chocolate with churros, of course.  Americans are familiar with what are, I’m sorry to say, little more than very poor imitations of the original Spanish churro.  Those long, sugary sticks of dough sold at Disneyland or  Costco bear little resemblance to the authentic Spanish article.  Churros must be eaten fresh from the fryer, are almost more savory than sweet, and are considerably shorter than their American imitations.

They are not smothered with sugar either, although shakers of sugar are available if desired.  In my humble opinion, dipping the churros in the chocolate is how to obtain all the sugar necessary.

The Chocolateria San Ginés is open virtually 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They have been making churros and chocolate here since 1865 with a steady flow of customers all day and night.  It is a favorite of locals and tourists alike, who indulge in this ritual for breakfast, enjoy it as an afternoon snack or stop by for a nightcap after an evening on the town.  I could happily both start and end my days with chocolate and churros on a daily basis.  I guess it is a good thing that I don’t reside permanently in Spain or that would be a very real temptation.

In my opinion, no visit to Madrid would be complete without a visit to this Spanish institution.  And by the way, they don’t know me from no way, no how. I’m just a secret admirer!

The “Chocolateria San Ginés” is located at Pasadizo San Ginés, 5, 28013 Madrid, Spain.

So tell me, have you ever eaten Churros & Chocolate in Spain?

So there you have it: CHOCOLATERIA SAN GINES – CHURROS & CHOCOLATE IN MADRID, SPAIN

All opinions expressed in this post are my own.   All photos are the original property of Celia Becker @ www.AfterOrangeCounty.com and may not be reproduced without specific permission.