Food - Drink
What Makes Spanish And Mexican Chorizo Different
By ERICA MARTINEZ
Chorizo is a type of sausage found in both Spanish and Mexican cuisine. “Chorizo” is the Spanish word for “sausage,” which is why this name applies to two rather different foods.
Both types of chorizo were invented when Spanish explorers brought pigs to the Americas. They combined pork with the new spices and chilis found in America to create chorizo.
Spanish chorizo is typically made from pork neck, loin, jowl, or belly, and many modern Spanish chorizos use smoked paprika to achieve the signature smoky flavor.
The ingredients are stuffed into a casing and the links are fermented, smoked, and finally air-cured for up to three months. The sausage is then completely ready to eat.
With the texture of salami, Spanish chorizo is often sliced and eaten as a tapa along with cheese, bread, and wine. It also appears in soups, pasta, rice dishes, and sandwiches.
Meanwhile, Mexican chorizo is made of ground pork flavored with chilis, vinegar, garlic, and other spices. It is never cured or smoked and must be cooked before being eaten.
The meat is usually removed from its casing, broken into pieces, and fried in a skillet like ground beef. It’s often added to breakfast dishes, beans, tacos, burritos, and tortas.
Mexican chorizo may have more of a spicy kick than Spanish chorizo, and the texture is completely different, so you might have a hard time substituting one for the other.