- Covaleda celebra la undécima edición de su Feria del Chorizo Artesanal, consolidada como cita gastronómica clave en Soria.
- El concurso al “Mejor Chorizo del Mundo” reúne a productores de distintos puntos de España en varias categorías.
- La feria combina degustaciones, actividades culturales, música tradicional y talleres para todos los públicos.
- Productores como Embutidos La Hoguera, Carnicería Alonso o Sánchez Tudero destacan en el palmarés de esta edición.
Over one weekend in March, the quiet village of Covaleda in Soria turns into a meeting point for lovers of traditional cured meat. The Feria del Chorizo de Covaleda has grown from a strictly local celebration into an event that many food fans mark on their calendar, bringing together visitors, producers and curious onlookers around one star product: artisan chorizo.
What started as a simple gathering to showcase local sausages is now regarded as a benchmark gastronomic fair in the province. Across two intense days, Covaleda fills with tastings, music, demonstrations and, above all, a contest that everyone is watching: the competition to find what the organizers proudly call the “Best Chorizo in the World”.
The artisan chorizo of Covaleda and its roots
The fame of the fair is closely linked to the way chorizo is still made in this mountain area. Here, producers insist on slow curing processes, traditional recipes and careful seasoning, following methods that have changed very little over the years. That “how it’s done” is what gives the product its personality.
Local families and small businesses see chorizo not just as something to sell, but as part of their identity. The fair emerged from the desire to give visibility to that heritage and to the work done in small drying rooms and workshops, where each piece is looked after almost by hand.
Edition after edition, that original idea has drawn more attention from outside the region. Today, the Feria del Chorizo de Covaleda is counted among the most recognized charcuterie-focused events in Spain, attracting professionals, specialized juries and companies from several provinces.
Despite its growth, the atmosphere remains close and very rural. The streets, the main square and the sports hall become the main stage of a weekend where tradition, local pride and good food go hand in hand.
A weekend fair with a packed schedule
Across 21 and 22 March, Covaleda organizes a program designed so that no one gets bored, whether they come for the first time or have been attending for years. Cultural activities, live music, tastings and workshops share space with the most technical part of the fair: the evaluation of the chorizos competing for the top prizes.
The official opening usually takes place on Saturday morning, when the authorities and guests inaugurate the fair at the local sports pavilion. From that moment on, the venue becomes a constant bustle of stands offering sausage, cured meats and, of course, different types of chorizo to try and buy.
One of the moments with the deepest roots is the well-known homage to the pig in the Plaza Mayor. A butcher quarters a pig of around one hundred kilos in front of the public, explaining the characteristics and uses of each cut. For many visitors, this is a way of seeing up close a process that, in rural areas, was once part of everyday life.
Right after this demonstration, the sound of traditional instruments takes over the square. The local jota group of Covaleda and the Santa Cecilia Musical Ensemble perform pieces from the folk repertoire, turning the center of the village into a celebration of music, dance and popular customs.
Once the acts in the square are over, the gaiteros lead neighbors, visitors and authorities towards the sports hall, where the fair’s commercial and tasting side takes center stage. Inside, there is time to sample, compare and purchase pork products from different origins, with a special spotlight on artisan chorizo.
The “Best Chorizo in the World” contest
Beyond the festive atmosphere, the heart of the fair is the contest that awards the title of “Best Chorizo in the World”. This competition brings together producers from several Spanish regions, who put forward their best creations in different categories, from classic commercial lines to more specific or artisan versions.
In this eleventh edition, the organizers have introduced a significant change: each company may now present only one chorizo per category. According to the mayor of Covaleda, José Llorente, this adjustment seeks to encourage greater diversity among participants and to make the contest more balanced.
Limiting the number of samples per producer allows the jury to focus more calmly on each piece. The panel, made up of professionals linked to the food sector, evaluates several key aspects such as flavour, texture, aroma and the balance of spices, elements that define whether a chorizo stands out among the rest.
Members of the jury have stressed that the overall standard is very high and have underlined the commitment of the participating businesses, remarking that the passion for quality products has no limits. The catas, or tastings, are held in several sessions, with an initial qualifying phase and a final round on Sunday.
The tension rises as the weekend goes on. While visitors enjoy the activities in the village, the different samples, clearly coded and blind-tasted, are assessed in detail until the final decision is reached and the names of the winners are announced.
Winners and notable names in each category
This year’s fair has confirmed the good performance of several companies that are already well known in the world of cured meats. In the commercial cular category, the company Embutidos La Hoguera, based in San Pedro Manrique (Soria), has taken first prize, reinforcing its prestige with a product that convinced the jury.
Alongside La Hoguera, other brands have managed to secure top positions on the podium. In that same commercial cular category, Valle del Razón and Carnicería Inma have also been recognised. Their presence among the winners highlights the strong level of competition and the variety of chorizo styles presented at Covaleda.
The commercial thin chorizo category has had a strong presence from La Rioja. Embutidos Olga Galilea has once again reached the top, revalidating its first place and demonstrating consistency in quality. The rest of the podium has been completed by Carnicería Inma and Embutidos De Pablo, the latter based in Oncala (Soria), which further reinforces the role of the province in the contest.
In the special chorizo category, Carnicería Alonso has stood out as the major winner of these sessions. Behind it, Carnicería Olga and Embutidos Olga have completed the ranking, showing that experimentation and distinctive proposals also have their place within the framework of a fair that values both tradition and innovation.
With regard to ibérico chorizo, the award has gone to the Salamanca-based company Sánchez Tudero, whose product has prevailed over those of competitors such as Embutidos Olga and Carnicería Inma. This distinction underlines the specific character of ibérico production and its own weight in the sector.
The section dedicated to artisan producers has had its own protagonists. Javier De Pablo San Miguel has convinced the jury with a chorizo described as exquisite in its balance and execution. Behind him, the work of Nuria García Moreno and Olga Galilea Palacios has also been valued, achieving second and third place respectively and confirming the vitality of small-scale production.
An edition focused on balance and diversity
The decision to restrict each participant to a single sample per category has been one of the most commented changes in this eleventh edition. The local council and the organizers believe that this formula allows more producers to gain visibility and prevents competitions from being dominated by a few large brands.
From the organizers’ point of view, this approach also makes it easier for the jury to carry out more detailed assessments. By having fewer samples per producer, it is possible to dedicate more time to each chorizo, paying attention to nuances in curing, fat distribution and seasoning that can make the difference when choosing winners.
The fair thus seeks a balance between the presence of consolidated companies and the space reserved for smaller or emerging producers. The intention is that the event will continue to be a platform for artisan and local production, without losing the attraction that major brands bring to the contest and to the public.
This more balanced model is framed within a broader objective: to make the Feria del Chorizo de Covaleda a national reference that does not give up its roots. The aim is for the fair to grow in reputation and attendance while keeping its feet firmly on the ground, closely linked to the local economy and the people who have sustained this tradition.
The result is a fair in which both specialized visitors and those simply looking for a weekend plan can enjoy a diverse range of products and activities, always with chorizo as the central thread but with room for other expressions of local culture.
Activities beyond the tastings
Although the contest is the highlight, the program of the Feria del Chorizo de Covaleda goes much further. During the weekend, there are children’s workshops, live demonstrations of how chorizo is made and activities designed so that families can wander around without rushing, discovering each corner of the fair.
One of the most popular proposals is the gastronomic masterclass, led this year by chef Luis Alberto Simón, from the restaurant El Cenador. In this session, the cook shows different ways of incorporating chorizo into recipes, proving that a traditional product can be reinterpreted in current and creative dishes without losing its essence.
The fair also has its media side. The opening speech has been delivered by journalist Iván Juárez, from the Promecal group in Soria, who has helped to frame the role of the event within the province’s calendar and its relevance for giving value to local products.
Throughout the weekend, the streets of Covaleda become an extension of the fairground. Bars and establishments in the village organize a matanza-themed tapas route, offering small bites created for the occasion, so that the experience continues beyond the official venue and the stands.
For many visitors, the combination of contest, music, demonstrations and tapas turns the fair into a plan that goes beyond simple tourism. It becomes a way to get closer to the daily life of a mountain village that uses its main product to tell its own story.
Sunday decisions and the role of Soria in the chorizo map
On Sunday morning, the fair changes pace. There may be fewer activities than the day before, but the expectation is higher. Around midday, at 13:00 according to the program, the moment arrives when the jury’s verdict is made public and the prizes for each category are officially handed out.
The awards ceremony becomes, in its own way, the closing event of a weekend in which Soria reaffirms its connection to chorizo. The announcement of the winners in the commercial, special, ibérico and artisan categories marks the culmination of the tastings and the work carried out in the previous days.
After the official speeches and acknowledgements, a popular tasting usually takes place, allowing visitors to sample some of the winning chorizos and to continue enjoying the product in a relaxed way before the end of the fair.
The feeling left by this edition is that Covaleda continues to earn its place as a stronghold of this sausage. Both the participation of companies from Soria and the presence of producers from other regions contribute to shaping an image of the province as a key point on the chorizo map, capable of hosting a competition with an international outlook.
With each new edition, the Feria del Chorizo de Covaleda confirms that it is much more than a simple local event. It is a space where tradition, innovation, rural life and gastronomy intersect, bringing together producers and visitors around a product that, far from going out of fashion, continues to generate interest, debate and, above all, enjoyment for anyone who decides to spend a weekend in this corner of Soria.
