Chorizo can be a fresh sausage

Chorizo (Spanish) or chouriço (Portuguese) is a term originating from the Iberian Peninsula encompassing several types of pork sausages.

Chorizo can be a fresh sausage, in which case it must be cooked before eating. In Europe, it is more frequently afermented, cured, smoked sausage, in which case it is often sliced and eaten without cooking, and can be added as an ingredient to add flavour to other dishes. Spanish chorizo and Portuguese chouriço get their distinctive smokiness and deep red color from dried smoked red peppers (pimentón/pimentão). Due to culinary tradition and the cost of imported Spanish smoked paprika, Mexican chorizo is usually made with chili peppers, used abundantly in Mexican cuisine. In Latin America, vinegar also tends to be used instead of the white wine usually used in Spain.

Traditionally, chorizo is encased in natural casings made from intestines, a method used since Roman times.

Some types of chorizo can be eaten without further cooking (e.g. sliced or in a sandwich). Chorizos can be grilled, fried, or simmered in liquid, including apple cider, other strong alcoholic beverage such as aguardiente. It also can be used as a partial replacement for ground (minced) beef or pork.

Spanish-style tapas bars that serve traditional Spanish-style chorizo have gained in popularity in recent years, and now appear in many large cities throughout North America and other parts of Europe.

     And also longganis is similar to chorizo a  Spanish sausage (embutido) similar to a chorizo and also closely associated with the Portugueselinguiça. Its defining characteristics are interpreted differently from region to region. It is popular in the cuisines of several regions of Spain.

Longanisa are sausages popular in areas such as Spain, Mexico, the Philippines, Chile, and Puerto Rico. Like other types of sausages, longanisa are made with ground pork stuffed into a casing. It is seasoned with salt and other spices. Similar to chorizo and Linguiça in both design and taste, longanisa are made with different spices depending on the region they come from. They are typically part of a hearty meal, though they may be sliced and served as a snack.

The term sausage technically refers to any type of ground meat stuffed into a casing. This means that beef, seafood, pork, or poultry may be made into a sausage. Most people are referring to pork sausage when talking about longanisa, though it may be made with any meat. The term chorizo, on the other hand, refers only to a pork sausage. The sausage casing may be synthetic or made of intestines. The casing may be eaten or discarded.

By: Ana Joy Alba