Description: Linguiça de Portalegre PGI is a smoked sausage comprising meat (leg, shoulder blade, loin, belly, intercostal muscles and trimmings with some fat) and hard fat, free of rind, of Alentejana breed of pigs, with added salt, dry ground garlic, sweet pepper, red pepper paste and sometimes white wine of the Portalegre region.
Production method: The meat and fat are cut into 1-2 cm pieces to which seasoning and water is added. After all the ingredients have been mixed together the mixture is left to marinate for two days at a temperature of less than 10 °C at 80% to 90% humidity. The mixture is then stuffed into natural beef or pork intestine casing. The smoking process takes place over oak fires for approximately 10 days.
Distinctive features: The characteristic flavour of Linguiça de Portalegre PGI is largely due to the utilization of meat and fat from Alentejo pure bred pigs with an acorn-rich diet.
Production area: Linguiça de Portalegre PGI is made in the Portalegre district.
History: Linguiça de Portalegre PGI is part of a wide range of traditional sausage from the Portalegre region, developed throughout the centuries in order to cope with the concentration of pork supply in a short period of the year, and taking advantage of an enabling micro climate influenced by the Serra de São Mamede and from the know-how of the local population. This led to the development of local traditional techniques of pork processing and conservation by processes of salting and drying.
Product specification (pdf)
Producer group
NATUR-AL-CARNES - Agrupamento de Produtores Pecuários do Norte Alentejano, S. A.
Control and certification body
Publication in EU official journal
Regulamento (CE) n.º 1875/97 da Comissão de 26 09 1997 - L 265/26
JOCE C24 de 24.1.1997 – publicação do período de oposição
Publication in the Portuguese official journal
Rectificação n.º 2940/2000 – 30.11.2000
Aviso n.º 7820/2000 – 06.05.2000