Over the past 7 years, Marketmanila.com readers’ most frequently sought after or email requested “pinoy” food item in the United States has been Chorizos Marca El Rey… Every month I receive at least one email asking where folks might be able to buy these chorizos, and up until now, I haven’t had a helpful answer other than to tell readers they are made in the U.S. by ConAgra, but I haven’t the foggiest clue where to buy them there. So while I rarely post purely commercial announcements about a processed food item, consider this a Happy New Year’s treat for readers. Yes, you CAN NOW ORDER this iconic chorizo by mail, here. Enjoy! And no, I am not in any way related to or connected with the vendor identified. They simply contacted me by email, probably after seeing a post on the ingredient, here. :)
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DEC along wilson st in san juan has several cans available, prior to Xmas. There might be some left.
Just received a birthday present from my brother….a whoooooole can of chorizo de bilbao Marca El Rey….still inside the plastic bag he must have bought it from…it says Manila Orient something in San Jose, CA
I read it’s now made by Martin Purefoods. They’re website has an email address, so if someone is interested, maybe s/he can email and ask about availability. https://www.martinpurefoods.com/ (I am not associated with the company in any way, and I don’t even like Filipino-style paella (at least I don’t like any of the ones I’ve tried).
I re-visited your old post on this topic and it’s amazing how , even 3 years(2009) after your first post(2006), the topic elicited a lot of comments especially on El Rey’s beginnings….interesting. When El rey is difficult to find, we resort to Purefoods Chorizo Bilbao….pwede na rin.
I remember this being packaged in big metal cans. I never saw them with the actual chorizos inside, but I remember the cans since we would reuse them as containers for slightly used frying oil.
I’ve been able to get Marca El Rey Chorizo from Seafood City in Seattle. It comes in a huge green can for around $30+. The Martin Purefoods chorizo (in the frozen section) is different and doesn’t compare.
Folks in California can get them at any Seafood City supermarket too – prominently displayed above the butcher display case – picked up one large green tin last month for roughly $30.
My cousin in California was able to buy them in a big can too… I think he got it in Seafood City. As for the people in the East coast….am not sure where to get them. I think the Philippine groceries have them. I know the Phil-Am store has some chorizos but am not sure what brand it is now.
I’ve found them from Unimart and Rustan’s Supermarket repacked in 1’s or 2’s. However it’s not always available. So I buy a dozen or so and stock them in the freezer.
i bought 1 can for the first time last year at Seafood City for $38 is this a good price? i was gladly surprised to find they’re no longer imbedded in fat which was how i remembered an aunt would painstakingly excavate the orange things out of. I finally used the last from this batch. Caldereta is just not the same without it. Also tried your caldo verde soup –the color makes the soup look festive and elevates the taste.
It’s too bad that the Philippines can’t get a steady supply of Spanish chorizos specially since our cuisines are so similar. My family keeps nagging me to send them authentic Spanish chorizos made here in the US since they adhere to strict USDA inspections. Does anyone have any idea where to buy and how much they’ll cost me if I just tell them to buy it there in Manila…hopefully a steady supply. My family loves their weekend paella and callos days.
Dito sa Bay Area, we get it from the Pinoy stores. Also, here sa Spanish Table, https://www.spanishtable.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=TST&Product_Code=037479001160&Category_Code= can’t really tell the difference. Sa mga Batangenyo, we use it sa pochero and the likes.
Cheers —
Marca El Rey had stopped delivering the 2 pack package. They might have ceased packing them. All you see in oriental stores here in the Bay Area, Pacific Super, Manila Oriental are the canned ones. Once in a while, Manila Oriental, will pack them in 2’s and sell them @ 2.99 per pack. I use them in callos, apritada and of course paella. We always have a stock in our fridge but once in a while, if we venture over to the east bay, we pass by the Spanish Table in Berkeley to buy chorizos imported from Spain. We also order online thru La Tienda. In Manila, we get them at Rustans.
Csabai, a Hungarian farmer’s sausage widely available here in Canada and I assume, also in the US, specially in Eastern European markets, is pretty close and can actually be a better flavored cooking sausage than the elusive chorizo de Bilbao for Filipino and Spanish recipes calling for chorizo. It’s not rare and hard to get so cheaper too.
Got to try La Reina chorizo which I bought from the Spanish Embassy booth in the recent International Bazaar. Have you tried this, MM? What do you think of it?
Hi Marilene. I have been to the Spanish Table in the Bay area and I have a steady source here in California. Just wondering where there is one in the Philippines, so I can just direct my family to go there instead of asking me here in the US. Thanks for the input though.
TF, the Makati Supermarket in Alabang Town Center and Unimart in Greenhills has a steady supply
where can i get these in Manila? In Cash n Carry ? where at there? at the grocery or at the foreign goods stores? thanks
Thanks for the Unimart tip. I’ll let them know that. As for Marca El Eey chorizo that I spotted here in the US at the local Seafood City Asian store. Problem was, this was make by the brand Martin Purefoods (makes a variety of Philippine longanizas). So, I just had to try it..well, it was the most awful version of Spanish Chorizo I tried. Totally bland and tasteless.
Wow, the mom and pop stores on island would put these in big pickle jars and sell them by the piece for the kids and adults to buy. It also is a popular item to send to soldiers who get deployed so our local supermarkets always carry them by the can.
Chorizos Marca El Rey Chorizo NOW available!!! Waste no more time searching, just help us spread the word. Chamorro Food & Spices (CFS) was founded by Jay and Mary Benavente in September of 2011.
Also, Yours Lemon Powder…Looking to serve you!!!
Motto: Bringing traditional food and spices to your doorsteps
Web store: http://www.chamorrofoodspices.ecrater.com
Email address is: chamorrofoodspices@yahoo.com
Telephone number is: 785 340-7421
Thanks,
Jay and Mary Benavente (Wichita, Kansas)
Marca El Rey has replaced the cans with plastic packaging. I have a suspicion they changed the formulation of the chorizo as well. The canned chorizo was redder while the newer ones are quite pale in comparison. The newer ones have a much shorter shelf life as well, so I suggest that it be kept in the freezer. We did a quick taste test between our last can of chorizo vs. the new ones and there was a clear difference in how they looked and it seemed the newer ones were a bit saltier. We were by our supplier that there have been complaints with the plastic packaging and that the manufacturer has been made aware of this, so I hope they’ll go back to the cans until they fix the problem.
I found really authentic spanish chorizo around the bay area in pleasanton. It’s called Hot Paella. You order online n its delivered to you. Since i work in san ramon, i just pick it up in pleasanton. Try it. The chorizos are fantastic. The sell other spanish stuff.
Note: We have just launched a new website http://www.chamorrofoodspices.com instead of the old http://www.chamorrofoodspices.ecrater.com which we will be ending in the next 30 days as part of our transition phase.
Marca El Rey Chorizos En Rama (In Bunches). This is the Chorizos de Bilbao for “Paella”. This product is only shipped to Guam and the Phillipines. This is nothing compared to Senor or the Martin brands. Give us a try and we promise you’ll be happy. The real difference between the ones in the can and what we are selling is that its fresher and has not been aged which causes them to be darker in color as we are all used too. Please come visit our store.
Thanks,
Jay and Mary Benavente