Salpicão de Barroso-Montalegre

Appearance & taste

The sausage is straight and cylindrical, about 4 to 8 cm thick, 10 to 20 cm long and light brown. The casing lies firmly against the filling without wrinkles.

Because its nature and composition mean that it cannot be sliced, it is sold only whole, always packed at the place of origin. The label carries “Salpicão de Barroso — Montalegre — protected geographical indication”, the Community logo, the logo of the products of Barroso-Montalegre and a numbered certification mark through which each sausage can be traced back to the farm.

Production

The meat comes from pigs of the Bísaro breed or from crossbreeds with at least 50 % Bísaro blood, which are kept on semi-extensive farms. The loin and tenderloin are used. The meat is cut into large cubes, seasoned with salt, garlic and red or white wine from the region and rests for up to eight days at less than 10 °C and low humidity. Then hot paprika (“Pimento”) and/or sweet paprika (“Pimentão”) is added.

The mixture is stuffed into pig’s large intestine, tied with cotton thread and cut to the desired size. It is smoked for about thirty days over a low fire in a smokehouse or in the traditional smoking oven; the smoke comes from wood from the region, mainly oak.

Origin & history

The pigs come from the municipalities of Boticas, Chaves and Montalegre in the district of Vila Real, an area known as Barroso. Processing takes place only in the municipality of Montalegre.

Because of the climate, the location and, according to the specification, the poor connections to the rest of the country, the people of Barroso lived mainly on bread, potatoes and pork they produced themselves. To be able to eat the meat all year round, various methods of preserving it developed and were passed on from generation to generation. In the cold, dry climate the hearth fire burned constantly in every house, and its weak, gradually acting smoke provided good conditions for smoking. This is how traditional pig slaughtering gave rise to sausages in many shapes, colours and flavours.