A lightly smoked sausage that originates from the north of Portugal and is commonly found in Porto’s restaurants. We call it alheira and it’s so good that we’ve included it in our Downtown & Bolhão Market Food Tour, the longest-running food tour in town.

How do Portuguese eat Alheira?

Alheira is a white sausage, typically smoked for three days and made with ingredients such as wheat bread, garlic, and paprika, along with a variety of white meats, including:

• Chicken, turkey, and partridge (the most common);
• Occasionally, it may also contain veal, rabbit, or pork (less common).

Finding alheiras in Porto is easy as this is a common lunchtime option in Porto’s restaurants. Alheira is served either fried or baked in the oven (and accompanied by white rice, French fries, and a fried egg). It is also possible to have it as a petisco. If you choose that option, alheira made with game meat is preferable.

Where is alheira typically from?

Alheira is typical of the Trás-os-Montes region, located northeast of Porto, and has become very popular throughout the country. It has a unique flavour (it tastes really good!) and comes in different varieties depending on:

• The ingredients used;
• Their origin;
• The method of preparation.

You can find versions made with wild boar (Javali) or game (Caça), which may come from Mirandela, Vinhais, or Vila Real.

Tradition tells us that people originally made alheira with only poultry and paprika, and legend claims that Jewish conversos invented it in the 15th century to elude the Inquisition. One way the Inquisitors distinguished Jews from Christians was by inspecting the sausages hanging above the fireplace; because most sausages contained pork, they immediately arrested anyone whose sausage lacked it. Legend has it that the invention of alheira solved this problem, although this seems unlikely, as one of the essential ingredients in sausages is pork fat.

Where to find alheira in Porto

In Porto, supermarkets stock the most common version. However, if you want the “homemade” version, visit the mercearias around Bolhão Market and enjoy learning more about it. Better yet, join one of our Porto Food Tours, and we’ll share all the insider details about alheira with you!

Ricardo Brochado, founder of City Tailors, brings alheira to life in this blog post, now featured on the Taste Porto blog as part of the fusion between City Tailors and Taste Porto.