Recipe
Black Sesame and Salted Egg Yolk Churros: An Eccentric Fusion Food
The Churro Debate
Nobody knows exactly where the churro came from, but there are a few theories about this crispy dessert's origins. One version is that simplicity drove nomadic Spanish shepherds to create churros. All they needed was a fire and a substantial doughy bread—something that shepherds had plenty of access to.
Others argue that the churro was adapted from the doughnut-like Chinese fried crullers, youtiao. Portuguese sailors discovered this culinary delicacy and brought it back to Spain, where its unique ridged shape was developed.
No matter where these crispy fried pieces of dough came from, there's no doubt that they've become incredibly popular today. From churro ice cream sandwiches to Oreo churros, there won't be a shortage of churros any time soon. There's no doubt that recent modern churro adaptations and a Mexican classic of fresh churros with a warm cup of velvety champurrado hot chocolate are delicious. But these toasty black sesame and salted egg yolk custard churros are worth trying.
Flavor Fusion
You've heard about Nutella-filled churros, but what about black sesame? Black sesame is a classic Asian ingredient found in many desserts, such as black sesame paste haak zi maa wu tong sui, mochi, and breads. The color of black sesame in food may be eccentric, but its toasty, nutty, and mellow flavor profile is a pleasant surprise.
Salted duck eggs originate from the Chinese culture of preserving eggs by brining, a process used before there were refrigerators. Fortunately, this clever method produces an ingredient highly sought after in Asian desserts—salted egg yolks. The orange yolk is rich and fatty, and like other salty foods, salted egg yolks pair well with sweet flavors.
Here's how to combine these flavors and the classic Spanish pastry to up your churro game.
Black Sesame Churros with Salted Egg Yolk Custard
- Prep Time: 12 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 32 mins
- Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 6 salted egg yolks mashed
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons fresh milk
- 3/4 cup milk
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/5 cup caster sugar
- 1 tablespoon flour
- Black sesame powder
- Black sugar
- 1 cup flour
- 2 tablespoons black sesame paste
- 1 tablespoon food-grade activated charcoal powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 1/2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 piping bags
- 1 small round pastry tip
- 1 extra-large star pastry tip
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The history of the first churro may not be entirely clear, but accepting cultures can do good to your soul—like these churros. Both freshly-made churros and these Asian flavors are too good to miss out on. The world's becoming more diverse and we're all for sharing things, so count on seeing more interesting flavor and food combinations.