A guide to Spain’s cured meats
Meat-lovers rejoice, Spain is a carnivore’s paradise, known for quality products of all kinds, particularly pork. Here are some of the country’s best cured meats and what regions they’re from.
Spain particularly famed for its variety of embutidos or cured meats, you’ll find in tapas bars butchers and supermarkets across the country.
While you’ll some find all over, others are specialised from a particular region. Embutidos are defined because of the way they’re made from ground or chopped up meat, mixed with fat and other bits of offal. This is why Spain’s much-loved jamón is not considered an embutido.
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Chorizo
This is probably the best known of Spain’s embutidos, loved in many countries throughout the world as well as Spain of course. While there are many different types of chorizo found all over the country, one of the best is the Cantimpalos chorizo from Segovia with its Protected Geographical Indication status. It’s made with paprika, oregano, garlic and white pork.
Some chorizo should be fried before eaten. Photo: Geri Tech / Pexels
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Morcilla
Morcilla is Spain’s version of black pudding, made from congealed cow and pig blood. Like chorizo, you can find various versions of it across different regions of the country. The most famous type of morcilla, however, is from Burgos which also contains rice. Other much-loved types include one from Asturias made from pork and as well as onion or cebolla morcilla.
Salchichón ibérico
This cured sausage is made using the finest quality Iberian pork, mixed with black pepper, nutmeg and bacon. It’s both rich and peppery and can be found across Extremadura, Huelva, Córdoba and Salamanca.
Morcón
A very thick type of chorizo from Extremadura, stuffed inside the pigs’ small intestines. It contains paprika and other spices similar to chorizo but is made with lean, higher quality Iberian pork.
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Fuet
Fuet is a dry type of sausage originally from Catalonia, but it can also be found across the country. It’s made from bacon, lean pork and spices and has a mild flavour.
Fuet is a type of dried meat sausage. Photo: Julia Filirovska / Pexels
Butifarra
Butifarra is a thick pork sausage also typical from Catalonia and the Balearic Islands, containing a mix of various spices. There are also various types such as butifarra with egg, with blood like black pudding or even white pork. You can also find various versions in Murcia and Aragón.
Sobrasada
Sobrasada is a type of soft, spreadable sausage, from the Balearic island of Mallorca and is usually made from a local Balearic breed of black pig. Like many others it’s mixed with paprika and garlic and takes several months to cure. It’s a typical sandwich ingredient paired with cheese.
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Cecina
Cecina is from the region of León and isn’t a cured meat in the traditional sense. Unlike many of the others, it’s made from beef instead or pork, typically the hind-quarter cuts of a cow. It’s smoked and dried out for around 7 months and is kind of similar to beef jerky.
Chistorra
Chistorra is a long, thin type of sausage made from pig offal. It has a very high fat content compared to other sausages, sometimes up to 70 percent, so it’s often eaten in smaller amounts. Again it can be found all over the country, although the Basque Country and Navarre claim to have the best.
Chistorra is a popular long type of sausage. Photo: ArtHouse Studio / Pexels
Longaniza
Longaniza is a very long and thin pork sausage. It can be cured or dried. One of the most famous longanizas is the Longaniza de Pascua from the region of Valencia. It’s made from marinated and minced pork, which is then dried and is most commonly eaten raw.
Lomo embuchado
Lomo embuchado is essentially cured pork loin. It’s pork that has been trimmed of fat, marinated, salted, and stuffed into a casing.
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Salchichas
Salchicha simply translates as sausage and like in other countries such as the UK and Germany, they come in lots of different types, flavours and sizes. Most of them, however, used pork mixed with fat and offal. They are seasoned with spices and salt and stuffed inside the pig’s intestines. They are usually fried, but are eaten in many different ways such as those cooked in red wine or even in cider.
Botillo
Botillo is from the Bierzo province of León and has Protected Geographical Indication status. It’s made primarily from pork rib, up to 90 percent in some cases, as well as pig’s tails, paprika, garlic and salt. It’s a short coarse sausage which is typically smoked.
