Chorizo
Chorizo [ tʃo'ɾiθo ] ( Spanish ), Chouriço ( Portuguese ) or Xoriço [ ʃu'ɾisu ] ( Catalan ) is a spicy, strong, coarse, with pepper and garlic spiced raw sausage from pork from Spain and Portugal . Paprika gives it a red color and contributes to the typical taste. Chorizo usually contains up to twice as much paprika as the Hungarian Kolbász, which is also seasoned with paprika .
Word origin
The origin of the word chorizo is unclear. It may be derived from the Latin salsicium ("sausage"). Another possible origin is the Greek word χοιρίδιον, a term used for pig in Roman times.
In Spanish, chorizo is also used as a swear word for a petty thief or cheat .
Spain
The Spanish chorizo is similar to the southern Portuguese chouriço, but contains more paprika. Every year around 50,000 tons of chorizo are produced in Spain. The chorizo is usually offered as a sausage ring or tied sausage chain. It is used as cold cuts , cooked in stews and is very popular as a tapa . It is consumed raw, grilled, fried or smoked. Occasionally it is also cider ( cider ) cooked or placed in lard or olive oil. In some regions of Spain, the chorizo is served with nutmeg , oregano , thyme , pepper , potatoes and onions . Variants made from turkey meat ( chorizo de pavo ) are also available in stores.
Manufacturing
Meat and bacon are chopped up during production, and pork offal is often added. The mass is seasoned with salt, paprika (e.g. Pimentón de la Vera ) and garlic, depending on regional habits, other spices (e.g. oregano ) can be added. The taste of the sausage varies depending on the type of paprika used (mild, slightly sweet, hot, extra hot, smoked, sun-dried). The sausage is then usually air-dried in special drying rooms at temperatures between five and ten degrees Celsius. During this four to six week ripening process, the chorizo becomes firmer and gets its distinctive taste. Since fermentation (fermentation) also takes place during ripening , a slightly sour taste sets in.
The finished sausages are divided into one of four quality levels, of which only the two best, "Primera" and "Extra", are exported.
Besides salchichon, chorizo sausage is the only meat or meat product for which the addition of up to 50 mg / kg of the food coloring E 124 for reddening is permitted in the EU and Switzerland and is therefore not prohibited under threat of punishment in Germany; in this case, however, according to EU law, the food must be labeled by stating this additive and the note: "May impair activity and attention in children".
Regional variants
The most famous variant is the chorizo riojano . It is protected by a designation of origin . The meat and bacon of castrated white pigs are used in their production . In contrast, the chorizo ibérico is made from the meat of black Cerdo Ibérico pigs - an ancient Iberian breed closely related to the wild boar . Other popular varieties are Chorizo asturiano , Chorizo de Pamplona , Chorizo de Cantimpalos from Segovia , Chorizo de Soria , Chorizo extremeño and Chorizo de Zamora . As a local curiosity, chorizo is also made from wild boar, deer , goat or lamb .
Portugal
In Portugal , the sausage is called Chouriço and is as popular as it is in Spain. The northern Portuguese chouriço is usually higher in fat and contains less paprika. The meat for their production (pork belly) is placed in red wine with garlic, salt and various spices before smoking. The southern Portuguese chouriço contains more peppers. Industrially produced chouriço often contains very fatty and finely chopped meat.
One popular way of preparation in Portugal, the Chouriço on a Assa Chouriço - an often decorated small ceramic to - Table Grillschale flambé ; For this, inexpensive aguardiente , ethanol or local medronho is usually poured into the Assa's collecting tray and lit for a few minutes. Before this flambéing process, the chouriço is pierced along its length several times to the side so that the fat can escape into the grill pan under the high heat.
Other countries
The largest consumers of chorizo outside of Spain and Portugal are the French. In addition to imports from Spain, around 7000 to 9000 tons of chorizo are produced in France. The sausage is a bit fatter: while Spanish chorizo of the qualities Primera and Extra contains 20 to 30 percent fat, the French version contains around 45 percent. In contrast to the Spanish variant, the French chorizo is usually cut a little finer.
Chorizo is also produced in the Spanish-speaking countries of the Caribbean and Central America. It is not uncommon for cayenne pepper , black pepper , oregano and cumin seeds to be seasoned . A popular breakfast in Mexico is chorizo con huevos (chorizo with eggs).
In South America sausages are made under the name chorizo or chouriço. These are more different from the Spanish or Portuguese originals because they are less spicy. The chorizos at the Argentine asado are fried sausages. You can easily prepare it yourself by mixing the sausage meat with chimichurri .
There is also a variant of chorizo in the Philippines . It's a little cuter than the Spanish original.
In the small Indian state of Goa there is a chouriço, which goes back to the Portuguese colonial times. This one is much darker and far hotter than other sausages of this name. Chouriços are also made in East Timor , the former Portuguese Timor .
Also, German manufacturers have taken up the chorizo into their assortments.
Web links
- The Chorizo , article from Die Zeit
Individual evidence
- ^ RAE, Diccionario de la Lengua Española, 23rd edition
- ^ The Online Liddell-Scott-Jones Greek-English Lexicon
- ↑ Art. 4 and Art. 24 Regulation (EC) No. 1333/2008 with Annex 2 Part E Category 8.3.1 and Annex 5; according to appendix 1 Part C to § 3 and § 7 of the German Additive Admissions Ordinance were still permitted up to 250 mg / kg; Criminal liability of the production and marketing in Germany according to § 6 with § 59 of the Food and Feed Code .