Greetings pia-ga!
What a delicious question! Since I am on a diet, I figured it wouldn't
be too damaging for me to answer this question, after all,
those who can, eat, those who can't (due to self imposed dietary
restrictions) RESEARCH!
So, even though I cannot partake
of these tasty treats, surely it's ok to talk about them, right?
Now, on to the answer!
The Churros.com website has this to say about the origins of churros.
http://www.churros.com/churrohistory.htm States that churros " is an
invention of Spain" It also goes on to say, "It was of such
popularity that each country now claims authorship."
However, after doing a bit of research, I have found the origins of
the churro linked to cultures other than that of Spain.
The breakfast meal/dessert known as the Spanish churro may link from
the Sephardic Jews of Spain.
(http://www.humboldt.edu/~rescuers/book/Strobos/BramPais/seph.html)
http://www.orthohelp.com/geneal/SEPH_who.htm#presence Gives some
estimates of when the Jews first arrived in Spain.
These Sephardic Jews had a dish very similar to churros, called
"BIMUELOS" (which is Ladino for doughnuts)
(http://www.templebethel-maine.org/learning/welden_column11.html)
http://pweb.jps.net/~mythology/C.html
States: "Spanish crullers; long, thin, deep-fried, pastry sticks
rolled in cinnamon and sugar. Popular snack food sold by street
vendors in most major cities, Universal Studios and Disneyland
concession stands. Churros, were called "birmuelos" by the Sephardic
Jews of Spain and Portugal who first made them hundreds of years ago.
The Sephardim introduced this pastry to the 'new world' when they
immigrated to Cuba, Mexico, etc. They are found all over Spain and the
U.S. and can be made with various filling"
http://www.jewish-food.org/recipes/bimuelos.htm
States the other variations and their origin:
"Bimuelos - Judeo-Spanish
Zalabia - Mid-Eastern
Zenguola - Indian"
Another possible source of the churro may be the Moors.
http://www.lukemastin.com/history/early_spain_and_portugal.html
"711 Moors (Muslims) invade Spain"
http://www.marbellalife.com/food-and-drink/gastronomy/mijas.html
"Like churros, which are popular breakfast time snacks, a lot of the
bread is sweet, particularly commercial varieties such as Bimbo sliced
loaves. Popular types of bread in Mijas include bunuelos and homazos.
The Spanish have a real appetite for mixing the sweet and savoury, a
tradition which has its origins in the Arab occupation, as the Moorish
invaders also combined different types of food in one meal."
http://www.ocweekly.com/ink/03/15/food-arellano.php
"A macaroon is even sweeter than either atayef, a baby-corn-looking
cylinder bursting with deep-fried delight. Mushabbek is more of the
same, a swirl of spongy dough more buttery than floury with a
fruit-flavored exterior. If macaroons and mushabbek sound like a
churro, it’s actually the other way around: many moriscos (Moors from
Spain) fled Catholic wrath to the New World, heavily influencing its
Spanish culture. Sarkis’ protean churros retake the culinary legacy of
the Arabs away from those usurping vendors on Fourth Street."
http://cyberistan.org/islamic/moriscos.html
More information about the "Moriscos"
Other apparent variations or names:
http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/story025.htm
Links Zaliabia with the origination of the ice cream cone
http://www.familynyou.com/channels/atpdindex.php3?idtitle=1398&channel_sub_id=32
"According to Hobson-Jobson, the word jilebi is ‘apparently a
corruption of the Arabic zalabia or Persian zalabia’.
n the North, either white flour or besan is used. A similar confection
called imrati or jahangiri"
Bimuelos, also called Loukomades
(http://www.uahc.org/educate/parent/0204.shtml)
http://home.attbi.com/~osoono/history.htm
" Loukoumades (Greek)
"This is the most traditional Hanukkah treat for Sephardic Jews who
come from Greece and Turkey. Bimuelos (or burmuelos) is the pastry's
Judeo-Spanish name, loukoumades (or loukoumathes) is its Greek one,
and lokma is its Turkish one. Sephardic Jews actually use the name
"bimuelos" for a number of foods in addition to this one. For
instance, it can also mean pancakes or fried patties, or even a type
of baked muffins." --Gloria Kaufer Greene "
http://store.yahoo.com/mex-grocer/mexcocina-apr2.html
Churros are Spanish doughnuts, squeezed out through a pastry bag and
fried in long ribbons. In Spain they are served with piping hot
chocolate.
http://www.ecookbooks.com/products.html?affiliateID=36309&item=00783 A
Drizzle of Honey:
The Lives and Recipes of Spain's Secret Jews
http://www.aboutbenidorm.com/spanishfoods.htm
"If you visit Valencia city during the time of "Fallas" festivities,or
during the July Fair, you´ll find a great number of open air street
vendors frying "buñuelos". These are little round balls of sugared
batter, normally with a little hole in the middle. Similar in taste to
the "churros", they are very nice dipped in a good cup of thick
chocolate"
Other links of interest:
http://id.essortment.com/doughnuthistory_rgjt.htm
A short history of doughnuts
http://home.attbi.com/~osoono/history.htm
" Just about every culture has its version of deep fried dough that's
dusted in sugar, drizzled with sweet syrup, stuffed with custards or
jam, or perhaps served up as a savory item with spices, cheeses, or
meats. I've listed some of them below on this page (with an emphasis
on sweets of course)." |
