Chouriça de Carne de Vinhais /  Linguiça de Vinhais IGP

Description: The Chouriça de Carne de Vinhais PGI is a 30 to 35 cm long horse-shoe shaped smoked sausage, made from meat and fat of pure or cross breed Bísaro pigs, suitably seasoned with salt, wine, water, garlic, paprika and/or chili powder and bay leaf. The sausage has a cylindrical section of 2 to 3 cm in diameter and a reddish-brown in colour. When sliced, the sausage forms a coherent mass and is uneven in colour, varying from bright red to white.

Production method: The pig is slaughtered at an age of 9 to 18 months and minimum weight of 100 kg. The meat is cut into small cubes (ca. 3 cm), seasoned and left to marinate for four days. It is then stuffed into natural intestine casings and smoked over oak and chestnut wood fires for at least 35 days.

Special features: The meat used in the preparation of Chouriça de Carne de Vinhais PGI has a distinctive flavor deriving from the chestnuts from the woods of the reigion, on which the Bísaro pigs are mostly fed.

Production area: The production area encompasses the municipalities of Alfândega da Fé, Bragança, Carrazeda de Ansiães, Macedo de Cavaleiros, Mirandela, Torre de Moncorvo, Vila Flor and Vinhais, in the Bragança district.

History: The antiquity of pig farming in the region is demonstrated by the several zoomorphic sculptures there existing. Being the main source of proteins and fats in local gastronomy, local populations traditionally recurred to smoking in order to have pork meat available throughout the year. The fireplace always lit in winter, the wood of the region (oak, chestnut) and the constant humidity (of the kitchen) provide unique smoking conditions. This fact, combined with the way pigs are fed (squash, potatoes, chestnuts) turn Chouriça de Carne de Vinhais PGI into one-of-a-kind product.

Product specification (pdf)

Geographical area

Producer group
ANCSUB - Associação Nacional de Criadores de Suínos da Raça Bísara

Control and certification body
TRADIÇÃO E QUALIDADE - Assoc. Interprof. Produtos Agro-Alimentares de Trás-os-Montes

Control plan
Control plan (pdf)

Publication in EU official journal
Regulamento (CE) n.º 1265/98 da Comissão – L175/7 – 19.06.1998
Publicação do pedido de registo (97/C 273/06) – C273/8 – 09.09.1997

Publication in the Portuguese official journal
Despacho n.º 139/96 – 30.12.1996
Aviso n.º 13707/2014 – 09.12.2014