Description: Morcela de Assar de Portalegre PGI is a smoked sausage, consisting mainly of fats (from the head, neck, belly and back fat) and pig's blood from pigs of the Alentejana breed, with the addition of salt, ground dried garlic, cumin, sweet pepper and, occasionally, wine from the Portalegre region. The casing may be made from the small or large intestine of pigs only.
Production method: The soft fats are subjected to a process of traditional cutting ("miga") and then the blood which has been previously heated (usually over hot ashes, to prevent coagulation) is added. The other ingredients are then added and the resulting mixture is left to marinate for 12 to 24 hours in an environment with temperature not exceeding 10 °C and humidity of next 80/90%. This mixture is then stuffed into a casing of small or large intestine of pigs. The sausage is smoked over a fire mainly from oak or cork wood for 10 days.
Distinctive features: The characteristic flavour of Morcela de Assar 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: Morcela de Assar de Portalegre PGI is made in the Portalegre district.
History: Morcela de Assar 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 Alentejo, 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