113743 Fri Sep 19 11:29:01 -0700 2003 9 7 Chicago Area 0 618479 My wife and I are hosting a tapas party and one of the recipes has specifically stated that it requires Spanish chorizo as opposed to any other kind. Does anyone know what the difference is and where we can buy the Spanish variety? Thanks in advance. Fri Sep 19 11:29:01 -0700 2003 0 PresterJohn 1 618480 Deli Iberico in the back of Cafe Iberico, for the dried. If you want fresh, that's harder, but kudos to bryan for her suggestion of hot hungarian from Joe the Sausage King on Western north of Montrose. Fri Sep 19 11:41:57 -0700 2003 618479 0 annieb 2 618481 I've seen Spanish chorizo at Sam's Wines & Spirits. Fri Sep 19 12:03:01 -0700 2003 618480 0 MAG 3 618661 Many thanks to all of you. Its always a pleasure to learn from others and not commercials. Wed Sep 24 11:41:42 -0700 2003 618481 0 PresterJohn 1 618482 This question comes up with some frequency. Good chorizo can be found at La Unica on Devon, El Mercado on Southport (by Tango Sur), at the epicure in Sam's, and at Iberico. I like to give my business to the mom and pop places, but Sam's has good prices and it has the "long" Palacios chorizo. (The other places sometimes have Palacios, which is a top brand from Spain and superior quality, albeit the smallish ones in shrink wrap, or the quite good US product , El Mino, I believe.) Sam's also has a very good and reasonably priced selection of Spanish meats, cheeses, oils, sherry vinegar, etc. La Unica and Mercado have good imported chorizo packed in lard, if you don't mind it. Indeed, that chorizo-y lard might come in handy for some dishes. Fri Sep 19 12:11:28 -0700 2003 618479 0 JeffB 2 618483 PS, you'll find the lard-packed chorizo in the cans/tins along with the various fishes and mariscos, and not in the meat section. Fri Sep 19 12:13:43 -0700 2003 618482 0 JeffB 1 618494 In answer to your question about the difference: good Spanish chorizo is made with chunks of pork loin, paprika and garlic. The consistency is more like a hard salami or dry saucisson than Mexican chorizo. It can be eaten cold or cooked. I believe most Mexican chorizo is eaten cooked. Fri Sep 19 15:52:57 -0700 2003 618479 0 Kirk 1 618500 Try Eurofresh on Rt 14 in Palatine. They carry a lot of unusual meat selections. Or Farm Fresh on Rt. 60 in Vernon Hills. Fri Sep 19 17:10:27 -0700 2003 618479 0 jlawrence01 2 618506 I'm pretty sure Fox & Obel carries it, along with some Spanish hams. Fri Sep 19 18:19:19 -0700 2003 618500 0 RevrendAndy 1 618518 Way back in the olden days before Iberico had it's deli and the only chorizo one could find here in Chicago was the crumbly, uncooked Mexican variety, I used to make a sneaky substitution which never offended any palates, even educated Spanish ones. I used a dark and dense Hungarian sausage called gyulai, which is redolent with garlic and paprika almost exactly like the style of chorizo prevalent in Castile. (Every region of Spain has its own proud style and method of making chorizo, the Spanish being the proud and fussy Europeans that they are, god bless their fussiness.) My favorite used to come from the old Kuhn's deli on Lincoln, which long ago moved up to a northern burb, Deerfield perhaps? Meyer's deli in Lincoln Square still carries gyulai, and I just recently bought some at Paulina Market, although I prefer Meyer's. Gyulai, like chorizo, can be "wet" or "dry", depending on how long it's been hanging out. I prefer the drier sticks, when they become a worthy substitute for the very hard, chewy chorizo one might find in central Spain. joel Sat Sep 20 12:06:14 -0700 2003 618479 0 Joel Smtih