Alheira de Mirandela - Traditionally Guaranteed Speciality

Traditionally smoked sausage which owes its name to the garlic and main ingredients are meat and pork fat, chicken meat, wheat bread, Trás-os-Montes olive oil and lard. They can also be used as ingredients for hunting animal meat, cow meat and the pork sausage and/or aged parma ham. The meat should make up at least 60% and bread 25& of the total raw materials used. The "alheira" is shaped like a horse show, it 20 to 25 cms long, 2 to 3 cms in diameter, weighs between 150 and 200 grams and the ends are tied in cotton thread. The origin of the "Alheira" dates back to the end of the 15th century and is linked to the presence of the Jews in Trás-os-Montes who, not being able to eat pigs meat due to their religion, were easily identified because they didn`t make sausages. So as to be able to pass as Christians, the Jews invented a sausage that didn`t include the "forbidden", meat and which gave origin to the "Alheira de Mirandela". The people of Trás-os-Montes began to make these alheiras but added pigs meat.

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