Farinheira de Portalegre

This smoked pork sausage is produced in the region surrounding the town of Portalegre in eastern Portugal. The pork used for these sausages must be taken from the Alentejo breed of pigs, and it is mixed with wheat flour, salt, crushed garlic cloves, pepper, and sweet paprika.

The mixture is stuffed into sausage casings and smoked over an oak fire. The sausage is yellowish-brown in color with a shiny skin, the interior is dark yellow to brown and coarse in texture, while the flavor is delicate and slightly piquant. Farinheira is a key ingredient in traditional dishes such as cozido and various bean stews.