Why Spanish Chorizo is More Than Just a Sausage

Spanish Chorizo is a cold meat sausage that originated in Spain. But it has also spread to other Latin American countries in different variations.

Chorizo is the most traditional sausage in Spain. The main ingredients are pork meat and pork fat. Paprika, either sweet or spicy, gives chorizo its rich red colour and smoky flavour. Other ingredients used in Spanish chorizo include garlic, olive oil, wine, salt and oregano or other spices.

Types of Spanish chorizo

There are many different varieties of chorizos in Spain. The cured dried chorizos are delicious cold but the fresh sausages need cooking before eating.

Chorizo Riojano is one of the most famous varieties. Makers cure it in the hills of La Rioja. The climatic conditions there are perfect for the maturing process. Nowadays, the procedure takes place in chambers with controlled temperature and humidity. This chorizo earned the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) certificate from the European Union.

Other famous chorizos come from Salamanca and Avila. These use meat and fat from the Iberian pig. As opposed to the white pig used for the other types of Spanish sausages. It is less fatty than other chorizos, consisting of 80% meat and 20% fat. It has a very rich red colour and it takes between 3 to 4 months to mature. These are some of the best quality chorizos in Spain.

Chorizo in Asturias is usually smoked. The ones from Pamplona are thicker and use chopped meat. This makes them ideal as a sandwich filler.

Depending on the type of chorizo, it will presented in different shapes. Some are thick and short, others thin and long. Others come in the famous horseshoe shape. This makes them easy to hang from ceilings for optimal ventilation. In 2010, the town of Puertollano beat the Guinness Record for the longest chorizo in the world. Their a sausage measured 1018m in length and contained 750kg of meat. Unfortunately, a few months later, Colombia beat their record with a 1850m chorizo.

Eating Spanish chorizo

In the tapas culture, Spanish chorizo is a versatile and popular ingredient. It is delicious on its own, cut into thin slices and spread to fill up the plate. Or it enlivens a simple slice of bread. Additonally, it is suits frying or cooking with other ingredients to bring out the flavours. Chorizo a la Sidra is slow cooked in cider and served in a clay pot. This dish is very rich with strong flavours and it is best accompanied with bread.

Chorizo also adds flavour to stews. The famous Cocido Madrileño is a chick pea stew with carrots and potatoes . It uses a chunk of beef and a piece of chorizo to flavour the stew. The rich Fabada Asturiana uses white beans and a piece of the pork fat as well as chorizo to enliven the stew.

And then there is the thick lentil soup or stew, famous throughout the peninsula. Some people cook it with a piece of beef. Others prefer to use ham or a bone. But nobody makes a lentil stew without a juicy piece of Spanish chorizo.

One of the favourite dishes for Spanish children is Macarrones con chorizo. It is a very simple dish that adds chorizo to the home-made tomato sauce. Then, it’s poured over boiled macaroni. You cannot go wrong with that.

During festivities and street events it is very common to have a whole chorizo. Either fried or barbecued, in a crusty bread roll. Simple, filling, easy to eat and delicious!

Image: César