La Tienda offers the finest selection of Chorizo in the World imported into Ireland directly in association the
Consorcio del Chorizo. We are official partners in Ireland for Consorcio del Chorizo Español – Chorizo.ie

This association recommends quality chorizo imports direct from Spain to Ireland.

THE CONSORTIUM OF SPANISH CHORIZO
The Spanish Chorizo Consortium) is an association of companies that brings businesses from the Spanish meat industry together – all of them experts in the production and export of chorizo – with the objective to produce and market authentic and high quality Spanish chorizo.

The Consortium of Spanish Chorizo seal guarantees one origin – Spain – and a unique warranty. It certifies control of the product in a thorough way, creating a distinctive and recognised brand for its commercialisation in national markets.

THE SPANISH CHORIZO

Chorizo, as we know it today, was born in the seventeenth century with the arrival of paprika in Spain from America, a spice that gives it its characteristic reddish colour and spicy flavour. Previously, the chorizo had a black or white hue depending on whether it had blood or not.
Fire and salt are essential for any type of sausage as they allow the long-lasting conservation of the meat, and can be consumed months after slaughter.
In 1726, La Real Academia de la Lengua (The Royal Academy of Language) noted the first definition of chorizo in el Diccionario de Autoridades (The Authoritative Dictionary): “short piece of intestine, filled with meat, usually pork, minced and marinated, which is normally smoked.”
While hunting, King Carlos IV, met a choricero (a person who makes chorizo) who offered him a sausage that he took from his saddlebags. The monarch liked it so much that he named him official supplier of the Royal House. This anecdote was immortalised by Bayeu, Goya’s brother-in-law, in a tapestry called El choricero José Rico, de Candelario (The chorizo man José Rico, from Candelario).

To be considered as chorizo, it needs to:

• Be made with garlic and paprika.
• Be cured in the open air or smoked.
• Contain minced pork as the main base.
• Be marinated with spices such as paprika, which gives it its typical red colour.

The slaughter of the pig is one of the most deeply-rooted gastronomic and cultural traditions in Spain, a ritual in which families obtained meat and sausages for the whole year. Even today, in many parts of Spanish territory, the slaughter continues to be carried out in the traditional way.

The traditional character of the Spanish chorizo
There are as many recipes as there are chorizos, but what they all have in common are the main ingredients: pork meat and bacon, paprika, garlic, and salt.
The spices are varied; In fact, it’s not just one that permeates the aroma so characteristic of chorizo, but it is the sum of several scents, among which are garlic, pepper, cumin, bay leaf, thyme, onion, paprika, or oregano.

The traditional process of making Chorizo:

• Chopped meat and bacon.
• Mixing and kneading the meat with the spices.
• Resting and maceration.
• Stuffing the dough into the intestine.
• Curing: they are tied and exposed to the air in a natural environment, choosing suitable places based on their temperature and humidity characteristics. Tradition says that rooms with heat are chosen to protect the drying meat from insects because the smoke prevents them from entering.
• During the curing time there is a drying process, and the texture acquires firmness while the aroma develops as a result of the sum of the natural aromas. The chorizos should cure in a dry and cool place. Sometimes the chorizos are smoked with oak or holm oak wood and then they are left to air cool.

Contact La Tienda for prices and delivery

How Traditional Spanish Chorizo Is Made