Churros Donostia

[Berk Boyraz]

Butnot everyone is a morning person, and we get that. Luckily, if you slept in or went with a savory option for your morning meal, you have another chance to eat churros in San Sebastian. Many locals also enjoy them at merienda, or the midafternoon snack around 6 p.m.

Today we are going to talk about an all-time favorite Spanish treat, churros. You cannot leave San Sebastian without dunking your crispy churro in a creamy hot chocolate. Truth is Churros is not so widely spread in San Sebastian as in other parts of Spain. If you are visiting Madrid on your travels through Spain, we do recommend you indulge in the experience of churros at Chocolateria San Gines.

Aunque es una merienda ms propia de fras tardes de invierno, los churros con chocolate entran bien en cualquier poca del ao. En la chocolatera Santa Luca de la calle Puerto, un establecimiento de toda la vida abierto en 1956 en su emplazamiento original de la calle 31 de agosto, es el plato estrella. Son las cuatro y media de la tarde de un desapacible da de Semana Grande. Fuera llueve y los paraguas se tuercen a su paso por los puentes sobre el ro Urumea. Como si se fuera a acabar el mundo. Las calles atestadas de turistas y visitantes estn semivacas, en las playas no debe de haber ms que un puado de fieles baistas y hoy toca hacer cosas que en un soleado da de verano no pega demasiado.

Como saludar a los peces en al Aquarium. Entrar al museo San Telmo. Ver qu se cuece en Tabakalera, aislada desde el ao pasado por las obras en el pasadizo de Egia. Ir al cine. Y un plan que no falla: darle un gusto a nuestro paladar tradicional y castizo, rememorar nuestras races, regresar a una infancia feliz, pringarnos los dedos de azcar, mojar en una taza caliente un rico lazo crujiente. El binomio churro y taza de chocolate recobra una fuerza inusitada con el tiempo pocho.

La clave es que haga fro y no llueva. La frase es de Alberto, el churrero de Santa Luca, de origen gallego, que algo sabe sobre este oficio. No se cumplen del todo los requisitos meteorolgicos, pero en el ecuador de las fiestas el tiempo se ha vuelto del revs y la sala empieza a llenarse de churrfilos. Cuntas raciones de churros pueden salir en un da bueno? Alberto calcula que por encima de 300 platillos, una cifra que, asegura, se multiplica varias veces en Navidades.

Seala el cubo donde se almacena la masa de la harina: Cuando trabajamos mucho se gastan dos de estos. El proceso de estos deliciosos fritos es sencillo y rpido. Llevan tres ingredientes: harina, agua y sal. Al lado de la balsa de aceite donde se baan los churros, una mquina se encarga de darle la forma de tubito. Alberto ensea orgulloso su obra. Algunos han llegado a decir que son congelados, pero ya ves que no.

En la chocolatera Santa Luca un platillo de churros (media docena) con chocolate cuesta 4,20 euros. Si se prefiere, por un precio algo inferior (3,60 euros) se puede optar por acompaar el goloso manjar con un caf con leche. A una familia se le abren los ojos cuando una montaa de churros se posa sobre la mesa. Son cuatro raciones. Precio: 16 euros. Est bien. Aqu los precios no los suben, son los de siempre, dice una de ellas.

Una pareja de unos 40 aos se han salido un poco por la tangente y en lugar de churros se han decantado por el gofre con chocolate (2,50 euros), otro de los clsicos de la casa. Itziar es donostiarra; Jorge, de Len. Vienen de ponerse morados a pintxos en el bar Martnez de la calle 31 de agosto. Es el mejor de la ciudad, dice ella. En realidad, la primera opcin era el Aquarium pero como la cola era tremenda han terminado en la churrera de siempre.

Ninguna racin supera los 10 euros. Algunos clientes desafan la clsica merienda y se meten entre pecho y espalda un filete de carne con patatas. Son los menos. Dos jvenes turistas suizos (Lea, de 20 aos, y Friedrich, de 25) han cado de rebote en Santa Luca. Eligen el clsico tndem: churros con chocolate. Fuera sigue lloviendo y hace fresco y se est formando una larga cola en la barra. Alberto, el churrero, tiene faena.

A dos pasos de Portaletas, la Puerta de Mar de la antigua villa amurallada de San Sebastin encontramos esta chocolatera, cuya especialidad es el chocolate con churros, aunque dan tambin comidas como bocadillos o platos combinados.

At the beginning of the three weeks we started out as strangers, many of whom have yet to leave even North America but after the first week we could all consider each other friends. It started on the first night where those who had arrived at the same time went out and had our first meal as a group. It was here that the that the unyielding craving to indulge in the amazing and unique foreign food was born and the discovery of the refreshing drink of the summer was shared; as well as the first of many explorations through the winding city and view of the beautiful beaches.

The next ay was the beginning of classes where each of us started or continued to grow our knowledge of the Spanish language in addition to getting first hand insight into the local culture, customs, and things to do from the teachers who, for the most part, were locals and have called San Sebastin their home for many years. Here many laughs would be shared with people who have come from many parts of the world to learn alongside us. The tour afterwards was a good introduction to the city and it many parts an posssibilitits. We had an aerial view of the city and a stunning view of the ocean and three beaches the next day from atop monte igueldo where we shared churros and took a ride on one the oldest, still operational roller coasters in the world, Montaa Suiza.

In the class we learned basic greetings for every part of the day and some simple phrases to make navigating the shops and bars of San Sebastian just a bit smoother as we interact with the locals. By the end of the session, we were able to pair up and have mock conversations ordering in bars. The language is far from easy to learn, but being taught how to pronounce the unusual phenomes within the language and stringing sentences together brought about a certain sense of empowerment as we stoked a lingual connection with our adopted home.

The tragic reality of the cultural oppression which has taken place in the Basque region is harrowing, and it makes engaging with the language all the more important. As students adopting San Sebastian as our home for only a short period of time, it is vital that we do everything that we can to soak up the culture and history of the region, and it is impossible to do that without understanding at least some of the language which creates such a large distinction between the Basque country and its neighbors.

In San Sebastian, yesterday was Saint James Day which meant the group did not have Spanish class at Lacunza. A few of the guys, including myself, took this opportunity of a long weekend to visit Bordeaux, France. Bordeaux was a small four hour bus trip away and when we arrived, I could feel the cultural difference easily. It was a Friday night, which in San Sebastian would equate to thousands on the street, live music, open bars, and overall commotion, it was the complete opposite in the main Bordeaux area. It was only eleven in the evening yet many places were closed or stopped serving any food, there were few out having wine, and it was eerily silent throughout the main roads. Nonetheless, I was still looking forward to what the city had to unveil.

This essentially wrapped up the bike tour which I found to be the most eventful part of the weekend. The only other planned activity that occurred was visiting the wine museum which was very interesting but somewhat overwhelming to a non-expert in wine. We enjoyed a freshly caught seafood dinner on Sunday night and wrapped up our stay with shopping on Rue Saint-Catherine, the longest shopping street in Europe! Overall, while I enjoyed my long weekend in Bordeaux, I felt San Sebastian fit my lifestyle and habits much better for a few main reasons. The first is one I mentioned previously which was the very silent streets and overall more quiet nightlife, I really enjoy the buzz and music of San Sebastian and have almost become accustomed to it. I also found the people to be less friendly and sociable towards tourist although it was nice that most spoke English. If I had to sum the city up in one phrase, I would describe it as, Bordeaux: A city full of rich culture, ancient history, wine and great food.

That was all just a preview before the highlight of the night: the flamenco show! Barely knowing what a flamenco show was going into the night, we all knew that we had to experience this improvisational art that Madrid was known for. The three dancers all had drastically different skills, and combined with the beautiful song and guitar made for an entertaining hour and a half: unanimously our favorite part of the weekend.

We had a late start to the morning Sunday, so most of our day was spent wandering throughout the city. After having breakfast and checking out, we stumbled upon Plaza Mayor and Puerto del Sol, which were incredibly bigger than they were in pictures. The rest of our day was spent shopping for souvenirs in Gran Va. After stuffing our faces with food and doing some more wandering, we headed towards the bus for our six hour ride back to San Sebastian.

Remonte shows me how much the Basques value community. Remonte is not just a sport for the players but also a vast spectator sport. In the stands, they have live betting in which they throw money into a hollowed-out tennis ball and throw it to the bookie. When watching a match in any competitive sport, random people come together and cheer on their team. They feel the emotions the players feel, like the joy of winning or the sorrow of a bitter loss. The Basque people feel genuinely connected with the game. This fosters a tightly knitted community in which everyone can prosper.

The first settlement in Donostia (the Basque name for San Sebastin) was built in the shadow of Mount Urgull. Slowly, the town progressed from a few homes and warehouses to a city and fortified garrison. The initial fence marking the area for taxation was gradually turned into thick walls in the 16th and 17th centuries, which protected the city and its inhabitants.

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