Chouriço is a Portuguese sausage made from pork, seasoned with paprika, garlic, and occasionally wine or vinegar, which is then smoked or cured. The sausage has a robust, smoky flavor, often enhanced by the use of pimentão doce (sweet paprika), and is a staple in Portuguese cuisine.
It is commonly used in dishes like caldo verde (green soup) and feijoada (bean stew), or simply grilled and eaten as a snack or appetizer. The texture of chouriço is typically firm, making it suitable for slicing, cooking, or eating raw, depending on the preparation.
Chouriço differs from chorizo, a similar sausage from Spain and Latin America. Spanish chorizo is also dry-cured but has a more intense smoky flavor due to the use of pimentón (smoked paprika), while Latin American chorizo is typically fresh and must be cooked before consumption. Chouriço generally has a milder and more garlic-forward taste, while Spanish and Latin American versions emphasize different spice blends, especially chili in Latin American varieties.