Asturian-American Migration Forum

Given all the talk of sausage, I couldn't resist posting on this latest found product - Soyrizo! It's supposed to be a good vegetarian "equivalent" for Chorizo, but I'm still skeptical. A friend pointed it out to me in while we were shopping in the grocery store recently. (Is there such a thing as "healthy" chorizo? Or a "substitute" for chorizo? It just seems like an oxymoron.)

I haven't tried it yet, but would welcome reviews from those who have been brave enough to try it. Check out the webiste for Soyrizo which they refer to as a traditional "Mexican" sausage.

There are some foods that remind me of the old "good news and bad news" paradigm. The bad news is that we are going to die. The good news is that we are going to die anyway, no matter what we do to prevent it. This makes it easy to enjoy even the most artery-clogging foods, at least in semi-moderation.

I cannot imagine that substituting canola oil for pork fat would please my taste buds. The difference between olive oil and canola oil, to me at least, is very significant in many dishes. I go for extra virgin olive oil every time. I love to fry eggs in the savory, garlic-and-paprika-rich fat that is rendered from fried chorizos. Similarly flavored canola oil just wouldn't be the same.

We can buy wonderful Mexican chorizo in Connecticut (made by the people who own the store that sells it). It is very enjoyable in itself, but it if not a substitute for home-style Asturian chorizo. It is not smoked, and has less garlic and the addition of cumin.

Bob,

I had no idea about the difference between Mexican and Asturian chorizo; thanks for clarifying. I have to say that I'm quite skeptical about this "soyrizo" stuff. I'm unable to get Mexican or Asturian chorizo here, so I may try it out of desperation.

My great-grandmother had a set menu for her dinner each night: an egg fried in lard or sometimes in chorizo grease, a nice hunk of bread and a strong cup of coffee (she just boiled the grounds!). I'm not sure if this was her secret to longevity, but she lived to be 99 years old. So much for more recent concerns about cholestrol and the like. I agree that moderation is the rule, and I'm looking forward to having some of the "authentic" West Virginia chorizo when I return home!

S.

I don't think that the Asturian chorizo we picked up in West Virginia is that bad for you. It's so lean, I'd even consider adding a little extra oil when pan-frying it. And all that garlic is good for you! But I don't think I'd go out of my way to spread the chorizo fat on other foods, like Bob does!

And isn't olive oil one of the healthiest oils because of it's high mono-unsaturated fats? It's supposed to have up to 83% mono-unsaturated fatty acids, which is very good, from what I've read. (You can see some of the supposed health benefits at: http://www.gourmed.gr/mediterranean-die ... .asp?hid=8. I don't feel at all bad about eating it, and I'm careful about my fat intake.

Writing all of this, I'm reminded of Woody Allen's Sleeper, in which he wakes up in the future and learns that his health food regime was discovered to be poisonous and junk food (I think that was it) was found to be optimal.