Comments on: Sopa de Cartuja

By: Nelson

Nelson — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 08:23:49 +0000

I have seen “chorizo bilbao” in the online catalog of purveyors of Spanish edibles here in Southern California and also mentioned as a popular Spanish cooking sausage (semi-cured and air-dried) attributed to the Basque city of Bilbao in some food webpages. Described as dry and made of lean pork and spiced with garlic and pimenton (paprika), this chorizo must be distinct enough to be listed along with other Spanish sausages such as Pamplona, soria, blanco, morcilla, etc. The description suggests qualities we would recognize in the “chorizo de bilbao” that we Filipinos fondly associate with the brand Marca El Rey and packed in lard in that green and gold can sold in years past. I guess this chorizo de bilbao is in a sense, a Filipino “invention” or an ingredient that has defined itself to be indispensable by Pinoy tradition or taste – no substitions permitted, in the best callos, pochero, paella. Perhaps, another example of our food culture co-opting such good stuff as ensaimada, turron, tamal from our colonial past.

By: Maria Clara

Maria Clara — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 16:33:29 +0000

Lex: thanks for Chorizo Bilbao info. Did not occur to me no such thing in Spain. I was in Bilbao, Spain many many years ago and I thought it was named after the city. Yes, they have too many chorizos there and I would say chorizo is their national sausage in Spain.

By: Mandy

Mandy — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 16:03:51 +0000

“drop a whole raw egg (without the shell)”… you are too funny. this soup sounds yummy. wel, anything with chorizo is yummy! ;)

By: Lava Bien

Lava Bien — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 11:31:18 +0000

You’re right MM, they’re probably cooked or inspired by the followers (monks and nuns) of San Bruno in the Andalusian area of Spain.

I studied in the Northwest region of Spain (Castilla y Leon) and they have a few of the monasteries there with very gossipy hushhush (or not so) stories about nuns and monks and forbidden love. I spotted the rana (frog) in Salamanca, they say you’d finish your studies if you don’t hehehe (not into superstitions).

Anyways, you should have some of my Ilocano friends here in The Bay Area as they almost always serve “carioca” in all their parties ( I used to go for that and their kilawing kambing only hehehehe). You can hardly miss them here, they are everywhere. Very few of us pure Tagalogs here.

By: Lex

Lex — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 07:55:40 +0000

There is truly no such thing as Chorizo Bilbao is Spain. It is just that that the smoked Paprika used in making the chorizo is referred to as “tipo Bilbao”. No one wants to deny its existence in a can made by Purefoods or CDC. Its as pinoy as can be.

By: Queen B

Queen B — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 01:46:40 +0000

Nice indeed! Will try that one of these days since it’s getting cooler here down under… Yum! :)

By: marissewalangkaparis

marissewalangkaparis — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 01:20:41 +0000

Mmmmm…this sounds so good and easy to make. Will keep it in my “notebook” to make. Thanks MM. It looks so simple…and I can almost taste it.
Yes,the egg without the shell made me smile…thanks for the humor MM……oo nga naman,baka may maghulog ng itlog na nasa shell pa.Ha ha ha…
Hi bettyq,miss you!!

By: Connie C

Connie C — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 22:19:21 +0000

Murasaki Shikibu, I agree with you or I must have missed the best tapas and paellas in Spain.
I thought most of the dishes were salty and swimming in olive oil.

By: Connie C

Connie C — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 22:16:57 +0000

Dropping a raw egg ( without the shell as MM specifies) may sound funny , but I think it is normal in some cultures to drop eggs with the shell into the soup….carefully so as not to break, ha, ha.

I think it was in Siem Riep that I scooped a whole egg (with the shell) in my congee.

By: Apicio

Apicio — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 15:05:51 +0000

Somehow monasteries and cartuja mean only Carthusian monks to me.

Sometime I feel that purists who insist on denying that there is no such thing as chorizo de bilbao in Spain are on equal footings with those who force-fit Filipino locutions into glass slippers provided by the Real Academia de la Lengua Espan(~)ola.