The 10 most outstanding sausages of Asturian gastronomy

Asturias is famous nationally and internationally for its gastronomy and the landscapes that go with it. Many Asturian dishes make up the list of traditional Spanish recipes. Moreover, if there is one thing there is no doubt about, it is that Asturias is undoubtedly a land linked to cured meats. These, due to the climate and the characteristics of the region, as well as being subjected to processes in drying sheds for their preservation, in most cases, are exposed to smoking, which gives them a very characteristic wood-fired flavour and helps to combat the high levels of humidity in our land.

The best known at national level are Asturian chorizo and black pudding, both belonging to a quality brand and with a high level of sales, thanks to being closely linked to the most famous recipe of the Principality of Asturias: fabada.

Chorizo is also an indispensable part of our famous bollos preñaos.

Its composition normally includes lean pork, bacon, sweet paprika, garlic and salt. It is cured in smoke for approximately 7 days, plus another week in the drying room.

In the case of black pudding, we are talking about a sausage in natural casing made from pig's blood and fat, bacon, onion, sweet paprika and salt. For smoking, the wood used is generally oak and the process takes between two and three weeks, as Eduardo Méndez Riestra explains in his Diccionario de Cocina y Gastronomía de Asturias, a highly recommended work for anyone who wants to learn about our local products and Asturian gastronomic culture in general.

Longaniza de Avilés is perhaps the third in terms of importance and recognition. Its recipe is patented by the Vallina company. It is a sausage made from the small intestine of a pig which is not stuffed, making it more elongated than chorizo. It is usually eaten cooked or fried and accompanied by potatoes in cachelos.

But behind these more popular recipes there are also others that have been preserved and passed down from generation to generation, such as moscancia, sabadiego, chosco, butiello, xuan, andoya and emberzau. Sausages that the journalist Miguel Llano talked about very aptly in an article for Yantar in 2015, and which has served as a great guide for this text.

Moscancia is a fresh black pudding closely linked to the area of the mining basins and Siero-Noreña. Its ingredients are the same as those of a traditional black pudding, but beef suet and less blood are added. In the case of the male version, 'moscancio', the difference is that lamb fat and blood are used, and it is usually made in the Tineo area.

Sabadiego has in common with 'longanizas' its characteristic U-shape, but it is usually made using lower quality meat, paprika and onion. It gets its name from the fact that "in the past it was the one that was added to the pot on Saturdays, while the top-quality chorizo was reserved for the stew or the pot on Sundays", explains Méndez Riestra. The best way to eat it is lightly fried between two slices of bread or with some good home fried potatoes and an egg. It goes well with a good siesta.

Chosco de Tineo has a PGI and is typical of inland western Asturias. It is prepared with the loin end and the tongue cut into pieces, marinated in paprika, salt and garlic and stuffed into the animal's intestine. It is one of the gastronomic jewels of our region which still has territory to conquer, as its organoleptic characteristics mean that it has all the virtues to win over the palate of foreign diners.

The best way to eat it is with a fine cut with a local wine.

I'm sure more than one of you has heard the saying "you've got a bigger güeyu than butiello". Well, here is the explanation. Among the most unknown but interesting Asturian sausages is butiello, also known as butelo or panzón, depending on the area. This is the name given to the pig's stomach, in this case stuffed with the remains of the meat and the skin underneath, which is then cooked and eaten with cachelos. It is typical of the south-western area.

Xuan is also made with pork. Pork intestine stuffed with the same minced meat used for black pudding, but with a touch of pumpkin, pepper or even rice.

Emberzáu, typical of the eastern part of Asturias, is made with a dough similar to that of fresh black pudding, to which corn and wheat flour is added and which is wrapped in a cabbage leaf tied with string. Emberzao is usually used in stews or fried.

Andoya ' is a loin made in a thick casing from slices of sirloin and tongue. It is seasoned, stuffed and cured. For anyone who loves Italian coppa, this Asturian sausage is perfectly up to the task. It is smoked only with oak wood and then cured for approximately three months. When it is slightly cured, it can be used for cooking, and once the curing period is over, it is perfect to enjoy in thin slices with a good artisan bread.

As you have read, Asturias opens up a wide range of possibilities for filling the table with snacks and eating local produce. Without a doubt, a good option is to prepare a table of Asturian foods: we can start by selecting some good cheeses from our land, then choose which cured meats we prefer depending on the preparation, and finish off by pairing everything with a sparkling PDO cider, and thus taste the best of Asturian gastronomy without leaving our region.