The Short Version of the Long History of Choripan
Though the Porteños of Buenos Aires aren’t very keen on street food, you’ll find choripan carts at nearly every festival, market or fútbol game. I jokingly called it Argentina’s Hot Dog, as it reminded me of the classic connection of a good dog at the ballpark. As a lifelong butcher and lover of anything containing pork and salt, I had to dive a bit deeper into this humble little treat!
To find the origins of the sandwich, let’s look at the history of it’s main components- Chorizo, bread and chimichurri. Although every asador (grill man) has their own take, these three ingredients are the basis of nearly every choripan I found during my two months in Argentina. The sausage (chorizo) and bread (pan in Spanish) are obvious requirements as they make up the name itself and the chimichurri is so ubiquitous it deserves a little study as well.
Chorizo
The star of the dish finds it’s roots in Spanish and Portuguese recipes that found their way across the Atlantic in the 1500’s when the Spaniards colonized South America. During this decade, paprika was discovered in Mexico and taken back to Europe where it became the staple seasoning of chorizo. At that time, paprika was thought to be spicy as compared to the sweeter versions we see today. Chorizo’s simple ingredients of pork, spicy paprika, garlic, fennel seed and wine pretty much some up the flavors of Spanish cuisine and interestingly enough all came together in the area around the same century.
As pigs could be easily raised in villages without much space, they became a staple supply of meat for many Spaniards. After slaughtering they needed a way to use the fat and offcuts of the animal in a way that was easily preserved. Chilis, garlic and wine all have natural preservation properties for meats and the traditional drying of the sausage further cured them enabling a chorizo to last long enough for the trek across the Atlantic to the newly colonized America’s.
The Spaniards saw beautiful pampas (fertile lowlands of Argentina) as a perfect place for the live pigs they brought with them to flourish. The livestock provided meat for the trip as well as a quickly replicating source of food for years to come. Also on the boats were grape vines to make wine, garlic and the spices which had become part of the regular cuisine. Over the years, Argentine chorizo lost the need to be preserved with modern refrigeration and some recipes started to incorporate the country’s favorite meat, beef.
Bread
With the vast fertile fields of Argentina, farmers started planting wheat which has become one of the country’s main crops. The European farmers also brought their traditions of bread and pastry baking which is scene on literally every corner of Argentina in medialunas, empanadas and bakeries of all sorts. The influx of Italians in the late 1800’s undeniably affected the bread baking to influence the chewy and dense breads so common today.
A nice dense bread holds together well and also soaks up flavor. A perfect container for a greasy sausage! The combination lends itself to easy transportation as well, which makes it a perfect choice for on the go dining as the choripan is known for.
Chimichurri
The herbaceous bite of chimichurri comes from an abundance of oregano, which is enhanced by the tartness of olive oil. Interestingly, the name oregano comes from the Greek words oros meaning “joy” and gains meaning “mountain”, and “joy of the mountain” could describe exactly what the gauchos of Argentina loved about the sauce.
At a glance chimichurri resembles the sauce salmoriglio from the south of Italy. Add in the chili from the Americas and you’ve got the perfect combination of flavors to show the merge of these two cuisines. Give it a little tartness from vinegar, again using the wine that Argentines love so much, and you’ve got a trio of flavors that match perfectly with meats.
Bringing it all together
A warm and toasty roll offers a handy container and sponge to soak up the juices. A rich sausage give you mouth watering umami and spice. The herb based sauce adds complimentary bitterness and luscious olive oil to carry all the flavors. Three ingredients that fit perfectly well together, offer convenience and satisfaction, all while holding 500 years worth of culinary history and transformation wrapped up in one humble sausage sandwich.
