Chorizo

One thing can be said for sure – Caribbean cooks really love their spice. It seems that the spicier a food is, the more popular it becomes, and nothing gets quite as spicy as chorizo. Chorizo is a type of meat that is ground and spiced according to style. Different meat manufacturers tend to create different types of chorizo, but this meat is a favorite all over the Caribbean. You will find chorizo in stews, in the form of sausages, and even packaged as loose meat in grocery stores.

Usually, chorizo is made from the fatter parts of pork, but sometimes you may be able to find beef, venison, kosher, and vegan chorizo as well. Chorizo is a reddish color, and though most people within the United States eat chorizo for breakfast, this meat is eaten at all hours of the day throughout the Caribbean. Chefs love to use this spicy meat in stews, on top of chicken dishes, and as a filler for many different sorts of fish and pastries. Some chefs have even used chorizo to fill Jamaican patties, and this type of patty will really hit you with a lot of spice from the first bite.

Though many people are slightly intimidate to try Caribbean chorizo, if you have a penchant for hot and spicy foods, this meat is not to be missed. Cooks throughout the Caribbean tend to add their own special blend of spices to each type of chorizo dish, so be prepared to be surprised. Chorizo is also popular throughout Europe and Mexico, though Spanish (European) chorizo is drastically different from the Caribbean variety. If you want to be “wowed,” ask for a bit of chorizo on your next Caribbean plate.