Uruguayan Chorizo in the Two Thumbs Range

Uruguayan Chorizo in the Two Thumbs Range

As the colder weather of July settles into a New Zealand winter, I ventured south with friends to spend some time in the hills. This time it was a snow shoeing adventure in the Two Thumbs Range near Takapō. We ascended Mt Beuzenberg, one of the few peaks in New Zealand named after a wahine. The weather was fantastic for the three days we spent in the mountains. Our super guide Simon from Alpine Recreation, guided us superbly across the winter alpine environment.

Rex Simpson Hut

The ridge up to Mt Beuzenberg – 2070 metres

When we stopped for lunch in the snow during the descent from Mt Beuzenberg into Camp Stream, I spied a sausage on a rock in the snow. I rapidly identified this as a Uruguayan chorizo from El Jefe. Best eaten warm, this chorizo sausage is a larger pork grind sausage. It has mild heat on the palate and is soft to eat. This will appeal to a wide range of sausage eaters, but will not be considered an exquisite chorizo by those who desire more punch and kick and a meld of hotter flavours in their sausage. This Uruguayan chorizo is an above average snarler that is worth a try.

El Jefe’s Uruguayan chorizo

As we descended down Camp Stream and back over the saddle to Rex Simpson Hut we reflected a great day out, snow shoeing up the ridge, glissading down from the peak and into the valley for a slog of many kilometres. And as always there was korero, katakata and good times.

wahine – woman, korero – talk, katakata – laugh.