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Dry-Ripened Chorizo

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Production of Traditional Mediterranean Meat Products

Part of the book series: Methods and Protocols in Food Science ((MPFS))

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Abstract

Spanish dry-ripened chorizos are highly seasoned red-colored intermediate-moisture, shelf-stable, and ready-to-eat sausages widespread throughout Spain. The characteristic nonmeat ingredients in the chorizo formulation are salt, paprika, garlic, and oregano. This study gathers information from scientific literature describing the characteristics of different types of chorizo and the effects of relevant factors on chorizo quality, technical specifications from national standards regarding chorizo formulation and making process and knowledge and information obtained from the producers. Many chorizo varieties are produced with differences depending on the region and the technology used in their making process. Traditional chorizos are spontaneously fermented, low-acid, and slow-ripened sausages with aw <0.9, while some industrial chorizos are highly fermented and commercialized with higher aw. Chorizos are categorized according to their composition (extra o average), or by the pig breed from which the pork is obtained. Other relevant differences in chorizos are they are the possibility of dry-smoking or mold covering, the amount or type of paprika used and sausage shape and size.

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Acknowledgments

Authors acknowledge the technical support provided by José Antonio Valverde Menéndez, manager of a small-scale meat industry in Spain.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Área de Nutrición y Bromatología, Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain

    Irma Caro

  2. Departamento de Higiene y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Universidad de León, León, Spain

    Félix Fernández-Soto & Javier Mateo

Authors
  1. Irma Caro
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  2. Félix Fernández-Soto
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  3. Javier Mateo
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Javier Mateo .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Centro Tecnológico de la Carne de Galicia, Ourense, Spain; Universidade de Vigo, Área deTecnoloxía dos Alimentos, Facultade de Ciencias, Ourense, Spain

    José Manuel Lorenzo

  2. Centro Tecnológico de la Carne de Galicia, Ourense, Spain

    Rubén Domínguez

  3. Centro Tecnológico de la Carne de Galicia, Ourense, Spain

    Mirian Pateiro

  4. Centro Tecnológico de la Carne de Galicia, Ourense, Spain

    Paulo E.S. Munekata

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Caro, I., Fernández-Soto, F., Mateo, J. (2022). Dry-Ripened Chorizo. In: Lorenzo, J.M., Domínguez, R., Pateiro, M., Munekata, P.E. (eds) Production of Traditional Mediterranean Meat Products. Methods and Protocols in Food Science . Humana, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-2103-5_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-2103-5_1

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