What is Chorizo? The Best Chorizo Sausage for Your for Your Recipes

Let's get one thing straight from the start, there are lots of ways to pronounce chorizo - and anyway you want to say it is fine with me. Chorizo is also called chourico. I think that the prounounciation differs so widely because chorizo is found in Portuguese, Spanish and Mexican cooking.

The seasoning influence is different from region to region as well. If you're in Spain or Portugal, then chorizo gets its smoky flavor and deep red color from smoked dried red pepper that's known as Spanish smoked paprika. Mexican chefs did not historically have access to the Spanish paprka and turned to local spices such as chili peppers. You'll basically find the Spanish and Mexicans referring to chorizo and the Portuguese to chourico.

The Spanish combine pork, pork fat, paprika and salt to make Spanish chorizo. The La Rioja region of Spain has been given Protected Geographical Status by the Europan Union. This means that only chorizo made in a strict manner using exact ingredients can be labeled La Rioja chorizo. However there are probably thousands of genuine Spanish recipes. You'll find many variations smoked and unsmoked, sweet and hot.

The Portuguese are more likely to add wine to the pork, salt and paprika blend. You'll also run across linguica, another type of sausage.

So essentially when you're buying chorizo or chourico, you want to decide whether it has paprika or chili pepers for it's primary seasoning. Then you want to establish wether those spices are hot or sweet.

Pamplona chorizo is thicker than other styles of chorizo and is made with more finely ground pork. You might think of it as a salami type of sausage that you can eat in a sandwich, snack, or party appetizer. I would serve it with a creamy warm cheese. For a different twist on crackers serve it with Tortas de Aceite de Oliva or Olive Oil Flatbread.

Spanish food has recently gained a great deal of popularity in the United States and you'll find Tapas bars in most American cities, where you can savor Spanish foods such as chorizo.

Yes there is blood in Chourico Mouro, Portuguese Blood Sausage. Because blood is spoils very quickly, you will generally find this pre-cooked in most stores. If you do buy fresh Chourico Mouro, then you have to be very careful about it's storage and shelf-life. But the blood sausage shown to the right is fully-cooked and ready to eat. Of course you can slice it and heat it up. Delicious in rice dishes and in stuffings.