Chorizo

CHORIZO

Chorizo can be a fresh sausage, in which case it must be cooked before eating. In Europe, it is more frequently a fermented, cured, smoked sausage, in which case it is usually sliced and eaten without cooking. Spanish chorizo and Portuguese chouriço get their distinctive smokiness and deep red color from dried smoked red peppers (pimentón/pimentão or colorau). Due to culinary tradition, and the expense of imported Spanish smoked paprika, Mexican chorizo (and chorizo throughout Latin America) is usually made with chili peppers, which are used abundantly in Mexican cuisine. In Latin America, vinegar also tends to be used instead of the white wine usually used in Spain. In Spain and Portugal, the sausages are usually encased in natural casings made from intestines, in a traditional method that has been used since Roman times. In Latin America, they are usually encased in artificial casings, have a smooth commercial appearance, and artificial colorings are often used

fuente: wikipedia