Pata Negra LLC, a group of Spanish entrepreneurs with more than 25 years of experience in the European food industry, now bring truly authentic, dry-cured chorizo to American consumers through the launch of the Imperial brand.
These artisan-cured sausages, authentic to the standard set in the Extremadura region of Spain, are now available in five varieties – Imperial Chorizo, Imperial Salchicon, Imperial Fuet, Imperial Sarta, and Imperialitos.
According to Pata Negra, Steven Jenkins, described as “New York’s highest-profile grocer” (New York Magazine) and “the enfant terrible of the fancy food business” (The New York Times), rates Imperial chorizo “the most delicious example of chorizo I’ve ever tasted.”
The Imperial products are made true to century-old recipes and are crafted by Extremadura native Alfonzo Blazquez and Spanish cured meats specialist, veterinarian Antonio Libran in the company’s new state-of-the-art facility in Gloversville, N.Y. Imperial chorizo is never heat-treated, a process that speeds up production at the expense of flavor, according to the company.
“Our chorizo is made true to ancient Spanish methods, using no shortcuts. We source the highest-quality U.S. pork cuts, genuine Spanish Pimenton paprika, and premium hand-selected spices,” said Ignacio Saez de Ibarra, general manager of Pata Negra. “Master chorizo-maker Alfonzo Blazquez and our tech director, veterinarian Antonio Libran guide the creation of our artisan chorizo, which is naturally air-cured according to a traditional long curing process, allowing the flavors to blend and the chorizo to develop its signature tangy flavor, color, aroma and perfect texture.”
