longganisa variety

Chorizo or any of the longganisa variety is almost always part of a typical Filipino breakfast. Aside from its mouth-watering aroma and delectable taste, chorizo can be easily prepared and comes in handy for those in a hurry like kids bound for school and parents off to work. Chorizo can be bought as a whole sausage of either soft cooking chorizo, which must be cooked before eating, or a firmer, drier cured sausage which can be sliced and eaten without cooking.

 It is also sold thinly sliced, like salami, to be enjoyed raw as tapas. Chorizo gets its trademark smoky flavor and rich red color from Pimento, which is smoked Spanish paprika, and is usually very spicy. Uncooked chorizo is softer to the touch and, when cooked, releases delicious spicy red oil.

 Indeed, often recipes using chorizo do not call for additional oil to be added to the pan since it provides its own.Longaniza (Tagalog: longganisa; Visayan: chorizo, soriso) are Philippine chorizos flavored with indigenous spices. Longaniza-making has a long tradition in the Philippines, with each region having its own specialty. Among others, Lucban longaniza is known for its garlic profile, and Guagua for its salty, almost sour, longanizas. Longganisanghamonado (Spanish: longanizajamonada), by contrast, is known for its distinctive sweet taste. Unlike Spanish chorizos, longanizas can also be made of chicken, beef, or even tuna.

Chorizo 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 a fermented, cured, smokedsausage, 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 chorizo get their distinctive smokiness and deep red color from dried smoked red peppers. 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.

Chorizo is a sausage that has many different varieties and is eaten all over Spain. Most chorizo that you would buy in stores has been cured, but “fresh” chorizo, which is softer, is also available. Chorizo is made by chopping or grinding the pork and “marinating” it in spices. Spanish paprika (sweet or spicey) is the spice which is giveschorizo its characteristic flavor and distinguishes it from other sausages. The casing of the chorizo is usually made from pork, if made at home.

Chorizo may be sliced and eaten alone or with crusty French-style bread or can be fried. It is very common to use it as an ingredient in other dishes, such as stews and soups. Many people are familiar with the Mexican or Caribbean chorizo, both of which are very different from the Spanish sausage in both taste and appearance.

By: Mary Grace Catalan