Alheira, Enchidos, Chouriço...I'm lost about what's what. Can somebody who really knows explain? Wikipedia isn't the type of explanation I need.

Enchidos: Stuffed casings with meat, spices and possibilities of onions or other flavourings - then smoked.

Alheira: These have stoires attached to how they came to be created from the times of the Inquisition. Normally, the main ingredients are meat - could be poultry, beef or pork, bread in which the juices of the cooked meats have made soft, olive oils, garlic and paprika.

Chouriço: smoked meat (beef and/or pork) and fat, placed into casings, smoked and tied off at intervals.

This is a very basic explanation but should help you to go and try a few.

Hiya,

Enchidos are a bit like the texture of English sausages, thick paste, made from finely ground meat (traditionally not pork), but today most of the ones i've eaten have pork in as well as other meats, blended with olive oil, salt, pepper and paprika (gives a slightly smokey flavour) - usually these are cooked in oil and served with veg - You don't usually eat them raw but i have seen one variety you can- i've also seen pir-piri, hot spicey versions

Chourico - always made from a mixture of pork / pork fat, chopped into pieces(some types pieces of 1cm or more) not grouind like Enchidos, always flavoured with paprika the mix can be soaked in wine, with extra spices added - slighty chewy, can be eaten raw, added to soups. stews or served as a local speciality flambee in spirits for a few seconds

,Alheira (a lot like Farinheira) - very fine texture (traditionally not pork, and ground to a paste with bread, oil etc), usually fried quickly, often served in 'hot dog' style in cafes

Other common sausages you'll find - but there are lots more

Linguica - fine paste, pork based herby sausage, always with garlic, and smoked - used in most cooking.

Morcela - blood sausage, usually dark like 'black pudding' usually cooked and added to salads etc

Farinheira - pork , flour, added salt, crushed dried garlic, chili pepper - very fine texture - traditionally baked or fried

Traditionally made by Jews during the Inquisition from any meat other than pork or even meat free - simple con, in those days the Portuguese couldn't comprehend any sausage not containing pork - therefore you eat sausage you're alright with me mate.

You can still sometimes find non meat versions of this

Cacholeira - made from liver and other offal, nice flavour if thats your taste - usually baed or fried.

hope this helps

Amazing because I always thought a sausage was a sausage, but not so. Mostly, I thought the only differences were Italian sausage with fennel or the American sausage with sage/salva in it.

Except for one or two mentioned, I'll give a few a try!

Thanks Mike and Steve!