Chorizo de Bilbao

Photo of Shrimps & Chorizo by Mayette M. Garcia

“Purefoods Chorizo Bilbao Style”

Originating from the Iberian peninsula (Spain and Portugal), chorizo refers to several types of pork sausages. It’s the favorite sausage of paella makers.

In the Philippines, the most common type is called chorizo de bilbao, or simply chorizo bilbao, named after the Basque region of Spain. (The city of Bilbao is regarded as the capital of the Basque Country.)

The particular brand of chorizo bilbao that is quite popular in the Philippines was never produced by anyone in Spain. A Filipino businessman surnamed Genato merely labeled it that way and even came up with the Marca El Rey name for his pork sausage spiked with paprika. He later moved to the United States and sold off his recipe to an American company, which is to say this Filipino favorite is now likely processed in the state of Nebraska, Ohio or Illinois. Armour-Eckrich Meats LLC is based in Cincinnati, OH.

Marca El Rey used to come in cans packed with lard, in gallon and half-gallon sizes. Today, the chorizos are available in vacuum-sealed plastic packs, like you see in the photo.

Current ingredients list: Pork, Beef, Salt, Paprika, Contains 2% Or Less of Dextrose, Flavoring, Lactic Acid Starter Culture, Sodium Nitrite, BHA, BHT, Citric Acid.

Each 28-gram serving contains 6 grams of protein, 5 grams of Saturated Fat (25% of Daily Value), and 520 milligrams of Sodium (22 % of DV).

A lower-end knockoff called Señor El Rey is produced by an American company in Anaheim, California. Many Filipino Americans have been duped into thinking that Marca El Rey and Señor El Rey are one and the same, or at least related. They are not. Despite the very similar green color and royal theme of the packaging, Señor El Rey is made by an unaffiliated entity that is presumably surfing on the longstanding goodwill of the original premium Marca El Rey.

And another company — Martin Purefoods (which similarly has caused many Filipino Americans to assume it’s related to San Miguel Purefoods, though it is absolutely not) — also makes chorizos and packages them in the familiar green and gold colors.

The usual ingredients for Pinoy choriso are pork, beef, sea salt, nonfat dry milk, dextrose, paprika (pimentón), garlic, spices, oleoresin of paprika, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite, BHT, BHA, and lactic acid starter culture.

The hotdog-like franks in the photo above are Marca El Rey chorizo sausages out of the package. 

How is chorizo used in Philippine cuisine?

The sausages can be eaten fried by themselves, or served alongside bread and eggs for breakfast. Sliced crosswise, they can be an added ingredient to tofu, rice, Italian pasta, and Chinese noodle dishes like pancit, as well as more specifically to Spanish-inspired Filipino dishes like estofado and morcon.

The Guam Connection

Chorizo bilbao is also a favorite in Chamorro dishes of the Mariana Islands. In fact, you can buy a three-pound bag for $19.99 from the Payless Market in Saipan.

For those in the 50 states, you can sometimes find it on Amazon. #aff

Recipe books say that when you cannot find the Filipino-style Marca El Rey product, you can substitute either Chinese-style pork sausage or the Goya brand of vacuum-packed chorizos. #aff

Ramonito: I was in Spain a year ago right in Bilbao in the Cantabrian Region searching for the above subject but sad to say that there is no such sausage as Chorizo Bilbao. There are lots of Spanish Sausage but none is known as in the subject. These are the known Spanish chorizo produce from their respective regions. Chorizo de Leon, Chorizo Galician, Chorizo Extremadura, Chorizo de Navarre, Chorizo Riojano, Chorizo Iberico de bellota from Salamanca, Chorizo Cantimpalos from Segovia, Chorizo Potes from Cantabria which Bilbao is located and Chorizo Canarias.

Above is a video showing the difference between Mexican chorizo and Spanish chorizo.