Paio de Beja

Beja paio sausage is a smoked meat product made from pork of the Alentejo breed of pigs. Roughly 70-90% of the sausage consists of lean meat, while the remaining 10-30% is fat. The pork meat and fat are diced and mixed with water, garlic, paprika, and salt before being stuffed into sausage casings.

The smoking process lasts for several days, and is carried out at a low temperature using local oak wood. Paio has a firm consistency and a pleasant, delicate flavor that is savory and slightly spicy. Served with bread, this sausage is a traditional meal that is brought to the fields by local farmers during the harvest.

Today, it is most often served as an appetizer. The typical flavor of the Beja paio sausage is closely tied to the local oak – not only is the wood used during the smoking process, but the acorns from the trees are one of the main food sources for the Alentejo pigs used in the sausage.