Chouriça de Carne de Melgaço

Chouriça de carne de Melgaço is a horseshoe-shaped dry sausage produced exclusively within the municipality of Melgaço in northern Portugal. It is made from shoulder meat, lard, trimmings and fat of Bisaro-breed pigs, seasoned with Vinho Verde and smoked over non-resinous wood, and is distinguished by its irregular marbled interior and semi-firm consistency.

About this designation

Registered as a PGI on 2 July 2012 under file number PGI-PT-1011 (eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000014532), Chouriça de carne de Melgaço is produced entirely within the municipality of Melgaço, covering all its localities: Alvaredo, Castro Laboreiro, Chaviães, Cousso, Cristóval, Cubalhão, Fiães, Gave, Lamas de Mouro, Paços, Paderne, Parada do Monte, Penso, Prado, Remoães, Roussas, S. Paio and Vila. The specification requires that raw material derive from Bisaro-breed pigs, raised in pure line or crossed with other breeds, slaughtered at a minimum live weight of 110 kg and no earlier than 32 weeks of age. The meat is seasoned using garlic, onion, sweet and/or hot paprika, salt, bay leaf, white Vinho Verde or a similar wine, and water, then rested in the sorça technique at a temperature not exceeding 11 °C, with the mixture stirred twice daily. Smoking is carried out using dry, non-resinous wood species: oak (Quercus), broom (Cytisus spp), birch (Betula Celtiberica), heather (Erica) and Cytisus baeticus. The finished sausage measures between 30 and 35 cm in length and between 2 and 3 cm in diameter, and is encased exclusively in natural small-intestine casing. All production stages — selection, cutting, preparation, seasoning, maturation, casing, tying, smoking and curing — must take place within the delimited area. Labelling must carry the designation Chouriça de carne de Melgaço – Indication géographique protégée together with the official logo.

Source: The register document this entry was written from · retrieved August 26, 2026

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PGI on 2 July 2012 under file number PGI-PT-1011, eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000014532.
• Pigs must be slaughtered at a minimum live weight of 110 kg and no earlier than 32 weeks of age.
• The sausage must measure between 30 and 35 cm in length and between 2 and 3 cm in diameter, encased exclusively in natural pork small-intestine casing.
• Smoking is restricted to dry, non-resinous wood: oak, broom, birch, heather and Cytisus baeticus; no other smoking materials are permitted by the specification.

Tasting notes

Minhoto pork sausages from Melgaço. Coarse-ground pork with paprika and garlic, traditional preparation.

HoReCa use

Minho charcutaria board; used in caldo verde and regional dishes.

Packaging

• vacuum-pack-200-400g