Here's your cheat sheet to Espana's popular cooked cured meats so you'll know how to host the perfect Spanish charcuterie party for your friends and family.

1.) Chorizo

Chorizo is a sausage stuffed with ground pork. Spain offers different takes on it based on the country's region. Some chorizo may come dried or cured while some are air-dried and only added with varying amounts of salt and spices. All chorizo has a distinct ingredient and that is a big helping of pimenton (Spanish paprika). Choose any version you like best as it goes well with cheese and wine.

2.) Lomo Embuchado

Lomo embuchado is basically aged whole pork loin. It is spiced with pimenton and garlic and is generally cured for two months. This type of meat is thinly sliced and together with its curing spices tastes smoky and a bit salty.

3.) Jamon Iberico

Jamon Iberico is made from the hocks of pata negra pigs and has only been legal in the United States until recently. Iberian (Iberico) pigs are exclusively fed on grass and acorns and are allowed to roam free, which is why it is generally expensive and rare, especially in the United States.

4.) Butifarra

Butifarra is likened to the taste and texture of salami but it ultimately tastes more garlicky. Catalonia in Spain is said to be the biggest producer of this meat product. The sausage is made from chopped pork meat, which consists of parts of the pig's leg, shoulder or loin, which makes it lean and low in pork fat.

5.) Salchichon

Salchichon is another type of sausage made from Iberian pork meat. It may be similar to the chorizo but it is cured with peppercorn, which gives it a more spicy taste.

6.) Jamon Serrano

Jamon Serrano literally means "ham of the mountains" and it is a popular charcuterie in Spain that it is considered to be a classic. It is made out of hog's legs. It is salted for two weeks, dried for 6 months and then dry cured for up to a year and a half. The rigorous process produces a darker meat and richer taste.

7.) Sobrasada de Mallorca

Sobrasada de Mallorca is the national sausage of Mallorca and the Balearic Islands. It is a type of soft chorizo made from the loin and bacon parts of the pork and flavored with pimento and other spices. The soft and sticky consistency makes it perfect for putting on toast, risotto and even pasta dishes.

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