Latin American

Joaquin Aguilar

La Costa on Thames

Joaquin Aguilar says while growing up in his native El Salvador, churros, the long, thin delicious fried pastry, were not a holiday staple, but that’s changed. “Now in my country, everybody is making churros [at Christmastime],” he says. Traditionally sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, Aguilar sometimes puts a creative twist on the centuries-old treat, such as making them with chocolate sauce, which historians typically credit as a dessert native to Mexico with origins pointed to the 16th century Spanish explorers. (In Spain, churros are ubiquitous, none more so than during the holiday season at Christmas markets, and on New Year’s Day, when pairing them with hot chocolate is an age-old tradition.)

In more recent history, churros have become a popular treat found throughout the U.S. at restaurants, amusement parks and food trucks. Aguilar says both he and his extended family all make them from scratch, adding that they are simple and quick to make. A good churro, he adds, should be light and crunchy.

Aguilar describes the holiday season in El Salvador as an extraordinarily festive time.

“Christmas is a big deal — it’s a really nice celebration there,” he says, adding that Christmas dinners at his home could include as many as 15 people gathered around the table. “Especially Christmas Eve, and New Year’s Eve. They are the biggest parties.”

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