Spanish charcutería

As a reaction against the Arab occupation of Spain, the eating of pork was widely encouraged, and with great effect, for it soon became the nation’s most popular meat. ‘Charcutería’ (cured pork) also became firmly established in the Spanish diet and, traditionally, each household would fatten a pig throughout the year until the ‘matanza’. This was an event when family and friends gathered to slaughter the animal and turn it into a myriad of sausages and hams to last the whole year. Never a scrap was wasted. Chorizo, morcilla, salchichón (salami), panceta (belly) and caña de lomo (loin) are some of the better-known products that make up the much-adored Spanish charcutería or ‘los embutidos’, and all vary greatly in quality according to breed of pig, diet and cure.