Presunto de Melgaço

Presunto de Melgaço is a smoked, dry-cured ham produced exclusively within the municipality of Melgaço in northern Portugal. It is made from fresh legs of Bísara-breed pigs, salted with additive-free sea salt, smoked over specified non-resinous woods, and finished with a coating of olive oil and hot pepper. The product is distinguished by its long, stretched cut with a bevelled or pointed trim, intact rind, and retained hoof.

About this designation

Presunto de Melgaço holds PGI status, registered under file number PGI-PT-1013, with EU protection granted on 2 July 2012 and eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000014533. Production is confined to the municipality of Melgaço, encompassing 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 raw material must be fresh legs weighing more than 10 kg, sourced from Bísara-breed pigs — raised pure or crossed with other breeds — that were castrated before four weeks of age if male, slaughtered at a minimum live weight of 110 kg and no earlier than 32 weeks of age. Salting uses only sea salt without additives. Smoking is carried out exclusively with dry, non-resinous wood from the following species: oak (Quercus), broom (Cytisus spp.), birch (Betula Celtiberica), heather (Erica), and Cytisus baeticus. After smoking, the ham is coated with a mixture of olive oil and hot pepper. The production steps that must take place within the delimited area include trimming and massaging the legs, salting, drying and smoking, application of the protective coating, affinage, and conservation. Salting duration varies between 11 and 21 days depending on the weight of each piece. Labelling must carry the designation Presunto de Melgaço — Indicação Geográfica Protegida and the official logotype.

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-1013 and eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000014533.
• Raw material must come from Bísara-breed pigs slaughtered at a minimum live weight of 110 kg and no earlier than 32 weeks of age.
• Smoking is permitted only with dry, non-resinous wood from five specified species: oak, broom, birch, heather, and Cytisus baeticus.
• Salting duration is between 11 and 21 days, varying according to the weight of each piece, to achieve the product's characteristically moderate saltiness.

Tasting notes

Minhoto dry-cured ham IGP from Melgaço (Viana do Castelo). Mountain-cured at high altitude. Deep red meat, firm texture, characteristic minhoto-aged profile.

HoReCa use

The specification states that Presunto de Melgaço is commercialised whole, sliced, or in pieces.

Packaging

• whole-leg-bone-in-7-9kg
• deli-sliced-vacuum-100g
• gift-pack-150g