New Bedford Linguica and Chourico: What They Are

New Bedford linguica is the Portuguese-American sausage that shows up in kale soup, on grills and in rolls from breakfast to midnight. Linguica is milder and thinner, with garlic and paprika, and chourico is redder, firmer and spicier. A papo seco, a crisp white Portuguese roll, holds up well for a sandwich.

Both came with families from the Azores and mainland Portugal, and both have become part of the daily food of southeastern Massachusetts. Small food shops in a port city appear and disappear quietly, so ask a local.

What is New Bedford linguica?

Linguica, often spelled linguiça in Portuguese, is a smoked pork sausage seasoned with garlic, paprika and sometimes wine. It is thinner and milder than many sausages, with a smoky, garlicky taste. A Baltimore newspaper once ran readers' letters on the sausage, a sign of how far it has traveled in American cooking.

In New Bedford you can find it at butchers, grocery stores and Portuguese food shops, sold by the link or the pound. It is cooked, so you can eat it straight, but grilling or pan-frying brings out the flavor.

How is New Bedford chourico different?

New Bedford chourico, chouriço in Portuguese, is a smoked pork sausage with a deeper red color and more heat than linguica, thanks to a heavier use of paprika and pepper. It is firmer and usually sold as a thick link or a ring.

Chourico is the one you cook with: sliced into stews, simmered in bean soup or flamed at the table in a clay dish. Linguica is the one you grill and put in a roll. Both can be used in each other's place, with a different result.

What does a Portuguese sausage New Bedford meal look like?

A Portuguese sausage New Bedford meal might be a bowl of kale soup with potatoes and linguica, a plate of grilled links with rice and beans, a pot of stewed clams and chourico, or a breakfast of eggs, potatoes and sliced sausage. At summer feasts, the sausage is grilled over coals and served in a roll with peppers.

At home, slice it into rounds and fry until the edges brown. Add onions and peppers and serve with crusty bread. A pan of potatoes cooked in the sausage fat is a good side.

How do you eat a chourico sandwich?

A chourico sandwich is simple: grilled or pan-fried chourico in a crusty roll, often with sauteed peppers and onions. Some people add mustard, others a smear of butter. It is eaten hot, with a napkin.

The roll matters. A papo seco, a crisp white roll, holds up to the grease and the juices. Ask a bakery or a market for the right roll. The Portuguese bakery guide covers the breads.

Where do you find Portuguese food shops New Bedford has?

Portuguese food shops New Bedford residents use are small grocery stores and butchers selling sausage, salt cod, olive oil, canned fish, cheese and imported sweets. Ask a local where they shop, and look on the main streets that run out of the center.

Ask the person at the counter what they use at home. Many shops have regulars who call ahead for holiday orders. Bring cash for small items and a cooler for what needs to stay cold.

What else goes with linguica?

Pair it with greens, beans, potatoes, rice and eggs. Kale, collards and cabbage are the traditional partners. A simple bean stew with linguica and a splash of vinegar is the kind of dish that sticks to a winter day. Seafood works too: clams with sausage is a New England classic.

The Massachusetts seasonal food calendar shows what is in season alongside the sausage.

Searching for the best linguica sandwich in New Bedford?

Compare, then decide. Order the same sandwich at two or three shops, and rate each dish by name with a line on the roll, the heat and the peppers. Tag the shop Portuguese or Deli, both of which have badges, and rate five of either to reach Sampler. Grill linguica at home over medium heat for ten minutes, turning often, or slice it into coins and fry until the edges crisp. Do not pierce a whole link or you lose the juices.

What should you ask at a shop?

Ask which is milder and which is hotter, and whether the sausage is made in house or by a regional maker. Ask how long a link keeps. Some shops sell by the link or by the pound, and they will slice it for you.

If you are buying for a recipe, say what you are cooking. The person behind the counter will pick the right one.

Who were you with at the sausage counter?

Heading somewhere else in Massachusetts? The Food in Massachusetts page links the rest.

Tag them. After a meal, choose Who were you with? and add the people you follow, who can add their own rating of the same meal. Two people often disagree on the heat, and both ratings stay. Save the shops to a list with a note on mild or hot. Get the Mosey app, rate your first sausage roll and share the list. The US guides hub has more.