You might think “that sounds hot, but I have no idea what that is” when you first hear the word “chorizo.” It’s a pork sausage from Spain. But what makes chorizo so unique and different from other sausages? Every country has its own signature dish or sausage. There are blood sausages in England, kielbasa in Poland, bratwurst in Germany, and chorizo in Spain. Chorizo is a beautiful, bright red sausage that is full of flavor.
Spanish chorizo is typically a cured pork sausage seasoned with pimentón a. k. a. smoked paprika (the rusty red powder made from ground, smoked, dried red peppers). The sausage comes in both sweet and hot varieties, depending on how spicy the paprika is. It can be eaten as tapas (Spanish appetizers) or cooked into main dishes. Spain also has chorizo fresco (fresh), which requires cooking before eating.
Portugal, Brazil, and Puerto Rico also have their versions of chorizo. The main difference between them and the Spanish original is that they are all cured sausages that can be eaten on their own. In Portuguese, chorizo is spelled chouriço (pronounced with an “s” sound). Mexico also makes chorizo sausage, but theirs is only fresh and doesn’t have paprika in it. Instead, it has pepper flakes. (Spanish pronounce the “z” in chorizo as a “th” or “ts” sound, Latin Americans pronounce the “z. “)Advertisement.
Cooking with chorizo is amazing. It adds so much flavor to recipes. Enjoy the cured sausage in appetizers, rice dishes (like paella), and soups. For the fresh sausage, choose to grill, braise, or fry them. You can also take the sausage meat out of its casings, cook the crumbles, and use them to fill tacos or put on top of omelets. There are so many possibilities!.
Before you use chorizo in a recipe, make sure you read it carefully to see what kind of sausage it calls for. If the recipe specifies Spanish cured chorizo, do not substitute Mexican chorizo and vice-versa. Mexican chorizo needs to be fully cooked before it can be eaten. Some recipes, though, can be adapted for either. For example, cured chorizo slices are sometimes used in the traditional Spanish tortilla, which is an omelet of eggs and thinly sliced potatoes. However, you can use cooked, crumbled fresh chorizo in the same way and still make a delicious dish. Advertisement.
Dont be afraid to give chorizo a try. Now you can find it in supermarkets as well as specialty Spanish, Mexican, and international markets. Start cooking with chorizo and youll discover that these sausages have wonderful flavor and many culinary uses.
As a fervent chorizo fan, I’ve enjoyed this spicy Spanish sausage in tacos, paella, sandwiches, and more for years But one question has always lingered in my mind – is chorizo made with blood?
As someone who doesn’t love the idea of eating blood sausage, I decided to dig into the details of how authentic chorizo is traditionally made. Read on to learn whether or not chorizo contains blood, and how it differs from morcilla and other blood sausages.
Chorizo 101 – A Flavorful Fermented Sausage
First, let’s start with a quick chorizo primer. This iconic Spanish sausage is made from coarsely chopped pork seasoned boldly with smoked paprika (pimentón), garlic, salt, herbs, and other spices.
The spiced meat mixture is stuffed into casings, then cured through fermentation and air-drying. This process lends chorizo its characteristic tangy, salty, and slightly spicy flavor.
Spanish-style chorizo can be hardened and fully dried for slicing, or soft and semi-cured for cooking from fresh. Portuguese linguiça is similar but often smokier with less heat.
Both make excellent additions to tacos, stews, rice dishes, pizza, sandwiches, breakfasts, and charcuterie boards. I certainly can’t imagine life without them!
Tradition of Blood Sausage (Morcilla) in Spain
Now, let’s discuss the tradition of blood sausage in Spanish cuisine. Morcilla is the Spanish term for blood sausage. It dates back centuries as a way for resourceful cooks to use every part of a slaughtered animal.
To make morcilla, pork blood is collected during slaughter and mixed with fat, rice, onion, and spices like paprika. This mixture is stuffed into casings and cooked.
Other Spanish blood sausages include burgos, made with beef blood and bacon, and catalan black sausage botifarra negra, containing pork blood and often pine nuts.
So while blood sausage has a long culinary history in Spain, it is its own distinct category – not the same as chorizo.
inspecting the Ingredients – What’s in Chorizo?
When reading the ingredients label of chorizo, you won’t find any mention of blood. Authentic Spanish-style chorizo contains just five main ingredients:
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Pork: The meat base is fatty pork shoulder or belly.
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Paprika: Smoked Spanish paprika (pimentón) provides the signature red hue and flavor.
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Garlic: Abundant garlic adds aromatic savor.
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Salt: Salt cures the sausage and boosts flavor.
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Herbs and spices: Black pepper, oregano, cumin, etc add extra complexity.
Some Mexican-style fresh chorizo adds vinegar or chili peppers for tang and heat. But animal blood is never an ingredient.
The Curing Process – No Blood Needed
Another reason chorizo doesn’t contain blood – it doesn’t need it for preservation! Here’s a quick look at how chorizo is cured:
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Meat is minced and mixed with spices, then stuffed into casings.
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Salt and enzymes initiate fermentation that help preserve and develop flavor.
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Chorizo cures for 1-2 weeks until pH drops and desired texture is reached.
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After curing, it is hung to air dry. Drying further preserves the sausage.
The salt, fermentation, and drying are enough to safely cure chorizo without any blood as a preservative.
Other Blood-Free Spanish Sausages
Beyond chorizo, Spain produces many other blood-free pork sausages including:
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Salchichón – Cured sausage similar to salami
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Lomo embuchado – Cured pork tenderloin
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Sobao – Dry-cured sausage from La Rioja
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Botillo – Meaty pork sausage seasoned with garlic and paprika
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Andouille – Smoky dry-cured sausage from Galicia
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Fuet – Thin, dry-cured Catalan sausage
So while morcilla and blood sausage have their place in Spanish cuisine, the vast majority of their iconic sausages are deliciously blood-free.
After scrutinizing traditional Spanish chorizo ingredients, curing methods, and sausage varieties, it is clear that chorizo is not a blood sausage.
Authentic chorizo relies only on select cuts of pork, pimentón, garlic, salt, and spices for its characteristically robust flavor. The fermentation and drying process preserves the sausage without any need for added blood.
While chorizo’s deep red color may look similar to blood sausage, it actually comes from the generous amounts of smoked paprika seasoning. So rest assured that any chorizo without “morcilla” specifically on the label is 100% blood-free.
Next time you bite into a sizzling chorizo taco, you can be at ease knowing it’s just juicy pork, spices, and no blood involved. ¡Buen provecho!
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You might think “that sounds hot, but I have no idea what that is” when you first hear the word “chorizo.” It’s a pork sausage from Spain. But what makes chorizo so unique and different from other sausages? Every country has its own signature dish or sausage. There are blood sausages in England, kielbasa in Poland, bratwurst in Germany, and chorizo in Spain. Chorizo is a beautiful, bright red sausage that is full of flavor.
Spanish chorizo is typically a cured pork sausage seasoned with pimentón a. k. a. smoked paprika (the rusty red powder made from ground, smoked, dried red peppers). The sausage comes in both sweet and hot varieties, depending on how spicy the paprika is. It can be eaten as tapas (Spanish appetizers) or cooked into main dishes. Spain also has chorizo fresco (fresh), which requires cooking before eating.
Portugal, Brazil, and Puerto Rico also have their versions of chorizo. The main difference between them and the Spanish original is that they are all cured sausages that can be eaten on their own. In Portuguese, chorizo is spelled chouriço (pronounced with an “s” sound). Mexico also makes chorizo sausage, but theirs is only fresh and doesn’t have paprika in it. Instead, it has pepper flakes. (Spanish pronounce the “z” in chorizo as a “th” or “ts” sound, Latin Americans pronounce the “z. “)Advertisement.
Cooking with chorizo is amazing. It adds so much flavor to recipes. Enjoy the cured sausage in appetizers, rice dishes (like paella), and soups. For the fresh sausage, choose to grill, braise, or fry them. You can also take the sausage meat out of its casings, cook the crumbles, and use them to fill tacos or put on top of omelets. There are so many possibilities!.
Before you use chorizo in a recipe, make sure you read it carefully to see what kind of sausage it calls for. If the recipe specifies Spanish cured chorizo, do not substitute Mexican chorizo and vice-versa. Mexican chorizo needs to be fully cooked before it can be eaten. Some recipes, though, can be adapted for either. For example, cured chorizo slices are sometimes used in the traditional Spanish tortilla, which is an omelet of eggs and thinly sliced potatoes. However, you can use cooked, crumbled fresh chorizo in the same way and still make a delicious dish. Advertisement.
Dont be afraid to give chorizo a try. Now you can find it in supermarkets as well as specialty Spanish, Mexican, and international markets. Start cooking with chorizo and youll discover that these sausages have wonderful flavor and many culinary uses.
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As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. Thats why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, well bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you cant find elsewhere. As things stand in politics right now, we take our job as reporters very seriously, and we appreciate your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Cant afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
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How Traditional Spanish Chorizo Is Made | Regional Eats
FAQ
Is chorizo sausage made with blood?
What is chorizo sausage made of?
What is blood sausage called?
What makes chorizo red?