State By Plate: The chorizo of México state

Many Mexican states are indelibly associated with a single dish. However, in the case of México state and its capital city of Toluca, the association is with a single ingredient — albeit one that has flavored countless dishes over the past 500 years.

Yes, Toluca’s history of chorizo production is that old. It dates to the first years of Spanish colonization in the early 16th century, when livestock such as cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, and chickens were introduced to the country. Hernán Cortés, the chief conquistador, was responsible for the birth of the industry in Valle de Toluca, which celebrates its quincentenary this year. Not only did he ensconce his pigs there, but he also assigned someone to run them regularly to ensure they didn’t become too fat. 

The differences between Spanish and Mexican chorizo

At that time, Spain had already established a tradition of making minced sausage from pork and pork fat in a “natural casing” (a pig’s small intestine). However, those sausages looked nothing like the ones made in Spain today. The Spanish discovery of the paprika chile pepper in Mexico used to make pimentón, gave chorizo its distinctive red coloring.

Meanwhile, in Toluca, native chorizo was distinguished from Spanish ones, most notably through feeding the pigs with corn, another Mexican ingredient previously unknown to Old World sausage makers and one that markedly changed the sausage’s flavor for the better. The addition of more chile peppers — some combination of ancho, chipotle, puya, guajillo, and chile de árbol for chorizo rojo; and serrano, and jalapeño chiles in later chorizo verde — also ensured Mexican chorizos would never resemble the Spanish version, although European ingredients like garlic and ginger would also be added, along with native onion, salt, and vinegar.

The history of chorizo production in México state

Cortés had brought his personal pigs, cows, and sheep to Valle de Toluca by 1525. By the end of the 16th century, Toluca was not only the chorizo center for the country, but also a major source of chicharrón, bacon, ham, blood sausage, and longaniza (more on this later). 

However, chorizo was by far the most famous of these pork-derived foods from Valle de Toluca, a fact confirmed by a legendary event in 1713 when the viceroy of Nueva España organized a pirámide gastronómica in Mexico City to honor a newly born prince to the House of Bourbon. All the representative dishes from the country’s various regions were present at this so-called “Monument to Gluttony” (I so hope time travel is invented during my lifetime), including chorizo toluqueño. 

Today, chorizos from Toluca are generally classified by color: rojo or verde. But the latter, despite its subsequent fame, is a relatively recent invention. When Alfonso Sánchez García wrote Chorizo del Toluca: apuntes gastronómicos, a landmark tome on the history and influence of the state’s signature sausage, there was no mention of chorizo verde. 

That’s likely because the book was published in 1976, and chorizo verde is thought to have been created sometime during that decade, with its invention often attributed to Texcalyacac, a municipality near Toluca.

The sausages of Toluca

Over the years, Toluca’s iconic sausages evolved to be made using specific ingredients and processes. 

Chorizo rojo

The first and still most common variety of chorizo, with signature recipes common among individual producers. However, most Tolucan chorizos rojos feature minced pork mixed with a paste of garlic, vinegar, and spices like ancho, guajillo, paprika peppers, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, clove, or nutmeg. The percentage of pork relative to pork fat is about 80:20, with chorizo air-dried and aged for one or two days to a week. Most Mexican chorizo is fresh rather than smoked or cured and thus must be cooked before serving.

Chorizo verde

Red chorizo isn’t just made in México state. However, green chorizo is unique to the state. As noted, it only began to be made in the 1960s or 1970s, but is now a sought-after culinary ingredient. The ingredients that give this distinctive sausage its color may vary, but typically originate from tomatillos or herbs or spices such as cilantro, oregano, bay leaves, pumpkin seeds, and poblano peppers. No salt is used for curing.

Longaniza

Like chorizo, longaniza’s roots are in Spain. But it’s instantly identifiable in Mexico due to its color (it’s more maroon than red thanks to the use of achiote along with paprika and guajillo peppers) and size. Chorizo is often tied off in servings of about 20 centimeters (7.8 inches) whereas longaniza, as the name might suggest, is longer and thus has more varied shapes. Quality was also a differentiator in the past, as chorizo was made from high-quality pork, while longaniza was traditionally made from cheaper portions.

Longaniza verde versions are made, but not commonly.

Dishes featuring chorizo in México state

Chorizo has long since transcended the borders of México state, in the sense that it’s also made elsewhere and is used as an ingredient in a staggering number of regional recipes. Like bacon, it’s a common complement to eggs for breakfast. But it’s also added in everything from tacos, tortas, chilaquiles, and quesadillas to myriad stews and sauces. Notably, it’s also a delicious pizza topping. 

For the best introduction to chorizo in el estilo de Toluca, order a pambazo de chorizo con papas — a signature regional sandwich featuring chorizo and potatoes — ideally during the city’s annual Expo Chorizo, a monument to gluttony not quite on the order of the Gastronomic Pyramid in 1713, but an event gaining in influence and importance. The 2025 edition is slated for July 19–20.

The living cultural legacy of chorizo in Toluca

No other state in Mexico and no other country, including Spain, has ever achieved the quality of chorizos made in Toluca, a fact as true today as it was 500 years ago. As a legacy of this tradition, the term choricero is sometimes used synonymously with toluqueño, and indeed Los Choriceros remains one of the nicknames for Toluca’s football (soccer) club, which competes in Liga MX.