If you are making a Mexican-inspired dish, you want Mexican chorizo to add a fiery heat to your dish, especially eggs. Mexican chorizo is an uncooked sausage, so you'll need to cook it (and drain it!) first. For a Spanish flair, such as a tapas spread, choose a Spanish chorizo. The Spanish version of chorizo is a cured sausage, as is salami. Use salami for Italian-inspired piatti, such as antipasti.

There's chorizo and then there's chorizo, and then there is salumi. But the first big difference is that chorizo is a Spanish word and salame an Italian one. Both however, consist of animal parts stuffed into an intestine (or other casing). There is such a multitude of types that there is no simple answer. Dried, semi-cured, soppresada (spreadable), fresh etc. Mexican chorizo is much different than the Spanish original and is not a good substitute.

The hard version of chorizo (which I associate with Spain) has a distinctive paprika flavor , which can be, but isn't always, a smoky paprika. And chorizo is spicy, where salame generally isn't. ;o)

There are several different types of both...but generally chorizo comes uncooked and is much softer like sausage and highly seasoned with chili powder and vinegar...and is often taken out of the casing and fried...then combined with eggs or sprinkled as a seasoning...although there is also a harder version as well. Salami is fully cooked and can be wet ot dry style but is harder and can be sliced. I hope that helps