Now here comes the interesting part, hold tight! The original Alheira was a pork-free sausage that was invented by the Portuguese Jews during the Inquisition. When the practice of the Jewish faith was outlawed, the Jews, especially the large community in the northern region of Trás-os-Montes, were easily found as they lacked the traditional pork sausages that hung from the smokehouses. To disguise themselves as “New Christians”, they created their own sausage, made from a blend of whatever non-pork product they had lying around. The recipe grew in popularity and eventually spread to the rest of the Portuguese population, who adopted their own varieties made with pork and/or pork fat.