We had a lovely 11-day trip to Spain in January, and it was exactly what we needed. Quiet, unhurried, with no big plans – and that was absolutely perfect. We took walks down to the seafront, which were glorious if not a little chilly at times. I spent much of the trip delightfully, unapologetically asleep. We indulged in lie-ins every single day, perhaps finally making up for the 3am wake-up call that started the holiday – hideous, not least because at 1am that very morning I was still signing off reports from work.

Breakfasts, as is tradition when we come to Spain, have been generous and indulgent affairs, eaten slowly and luxuriously with nowhere to be. And of course – of course – I could not come to Spain without eating at least one plateful of porras.

For the uninitiated, porras are the thicker, fluffier cousin of the churro. While churros are made from a unleavened dough – giving them that familiar dense, chewy bite – porras use a leavened dough with a raising agent, which makes them gloriously puffy and soft on the inside while still achieving that satisfying crispy exterior. They are best eaten the classic way: dunked generously and repeatedly into a cup of chocolate a la taza – a thick, dark, almost pudding-like Spanish hot chocolate that is nothing like the watery stuff we get at home. The combination is one of life’s perfections.

On day five, we ventured to Trastienda, a local cafe, for what and I affectionately call “fat churros” my slightly irreverent nickname for porras which has just stuck. It did not disappoint. The porras arrived golden and crisp, the chocolate thick and deeply rich, and we ate them slowly, pulling apart the dough and letting it soak up the chocolate before each bite.

Delicious. Delicious. Delicious.

I love the crunchiness, the pillowy interior, and the sheer indulgence of that thick chocolate alongside them. Gorgeous doesn’t quite cover it.

We liked it so much that on day nine we went back for more…!

This was actually my third porras pilgrimage. The first was in 2022, the second in 2024 (which made it into my journal but never quite onto the blog), and now this, our 2026 visit, has finally made it to a proper write-up. I think that says everything about how much they mean to me.

If you ever find yourself in the south of Spain: order a plate of porras and a chocolate a la taza, sit down with no particular agenda, and eat slowly. So simple and so satisfying!