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Mary, the owner/operator of Churros Mary must have special connections, as she's been able to posistion her business at the base of the famous Tijuana Arch, at the corner of Av. Revolución and Calle Primera. The location is strategic, as it receives thousands of tourists making the trek from the U.S. border, to the tourist magnet of downtown Tijuana. Yet, how many Norteamericano tourists stop for a bag of churros from Churros Mary? Quite a few, as churros are increasingly becoming a popular snack in the United States. Photo: If you've ever visited Tijuana, you'll find this a familiar sight, as this photo was shot at the base of the Tijuana arch, where Mary has set up her street vendor cart, and is awaiting another customer. What are churros? Churros originated in Spain, and are sometimes refereed to as a Spanish doughnut, as they're made from deep fried pastry dough, fried until crunchy, and sprinkled with sugar. Churros were virtually unknown in the U.S. until a few years ago, but with the explosion of the Latino population north of the border, churros have become increasingly popular, and now are almost considered to be a mainstream snack. The snack gets its name from its shape, which resembles the horns of the Churro breed of sheep. Photo: Mary turns the "steering wheel" to force dough through the chute, which will give it its unique shape, and the name "churro." Mary operates Churros Mary out of a churro cart, which is a common sight on the streets of most Mexican cities. Churro carts are of a very unique design, indigenous to Mexico, and are entirely self contained. The churro dough is kept in a pan until needed. and then it's squeezed through a chute into a pan of hot oil, with the power being provided by a steering wheel. When the churro dough emerges from the chute, it comes out long and skinny, in the shape of a five-sided star. It's deep fried in hot oil, lifted out of the oil, sprinkled with sugar, and allow to cool before being placed in bags. Like most churro vendors in Tijuana, Churros Mary sells a snack-size bag of churros for MEX $10.00, which is well under a dollar. The churros are always fresh, as it only takes moments to turn out a batch of delicious, freshly deep fried churros. Photo: Mary removes hot churros and places them in a bag to sell to a sleepy-looking customer. The landmark Hotel Nelson can be seen in the background of the photo. Saturday, March 14, 2009, after spending a full day exploring Tijuana, I was heading home, and noticed that Mary was still doing business, despite the fact that it was nearly seven in the evening. I'd been contemplating some sort of desert, as I'd gorged myself on tacos and beer, yet my sweet tooth had been neglected. So when I came across Churros Mary, I knew it was time to stop and enjoy a bag for her fresh, delicious churros. Photo: Mary is doing quite a lot of business, and has customers lined up to purchase fresh, delicious, bags of deep fried churros from her churro cart. You can't miss Churros Mary, as her cart is set up on the south east corner of Av. Revolución and Calle Primera, at the base of the Tijuana Arch, across the street from the landmark Hotel Nelson. I simply walked up, introduced myself, and asked for a bag of churros. She had a couple of bags already made, so I handed her a MEX $10.00 coin, she handed me a bag of churros, and I was off to enter the world of churro heaven. Photo: This "Don Juan" of a customer seems to be trying to make quite an impression on Mary. I found a nearby bench to sit on, and it was all that I could do to force myself to take a photo of the bag of churros before I devoured them. The churros were still warm, almost hot, and cooked to a golden brown, crispy and crunchy on the outside, sprinkled with sugar, yet soft and doughy on the inside, just like any self-respecting churro should be. Oh boy were they good! The only thing that I missed was a cup of Mexican hot chocolate to drink with them. Photo: It was all that I could do to snap this photo of my bag of churros before devouring them! You'll find Churros Mary open from early morning until sometime in the evening. The lady is always in the same place, and always sells some of the best churros to be found on the streets of Tijuana. Next time you're on your way to downtown Tijuana, when you pass under the famous arch, pay Churros Mary a visit, and enter the world of churro nirvana. Churros Mary Copyright(c) 2012 eRench Productions. All rights reserved. We've been on the web since December 22, 2002.
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