Linguiça facts for kids
Linguiça (pronounced: lin-GWEE-sah) is a tasty type of sausage that comes from Portugal. It's made from pork and gets its special flavor from garlic and paprika. This sausage is very popular in Portugal, Brazil, and other countries that speak Portuguese, which are places where Portuguese is the main language.
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Linguiça in Brazil and Portugal
Linguiça is often served as part of a big meal. It usually comes with rice, beans, and other pork dishes.
Feijoada: A National Dish
One famous dish is Feijoada. This is a traditional meal from Portugal and Brazil. Many people consider it the national dish of Brazil! Feijoada mixes linguiça with beans, ham hocks (a part of a pig's leg), and other foods. It's a very hearty and filling meal.
Different Kinds of Linguiça
In Brazil, a special type called linguiça calabresa is very popular. It was first made by Italian immigrants using Calabrese peppers. Today, it's often made with South American peppers. This spicy sausage is a favorite topping on pizzas, much like pepperoni in the United States.
Another kind is linguiça portuguesa. This one follows the original Portuguese recipe. It's a milder sausage and is also used on pizzas, sometimes with slices of hard-boiled egg.
Linguiça Around the World
Linguiça is popular in many places outside of Portugal and Brazil. These include Goa and Macau, which were once Portuguese colonies. In these areas, people often slice the sausage before grilling or cooking it slowly, sometimes with a light beer.
Linguiça in the United States
You can also find linguiça in parts of the United States, like California, Rhode Island, and southern Massachusetts. In Hawaii, some McDonald's restaurants even serve linguiça for breakfast! Hawaiian linguiça is also known as Portuguese sausage. It's usually smoked using banana leaves, which gives it a special local flavor.
Other Dishes with Linguiça
Linguiça is also an important part of francesinha. This is a traditional Portuguese sandwich from the city of Porto. The linguiça is added to the sauce, giving the dish a unique taste.
In Mangalore, India, among the Catholic community, linguiça is a popular dish. Mangalorean linguiça is spicier than the Portuguese version. It's more like Goan chouriço, another type of spicy sausage. It gets its strong flavor from red chilies, peppercorns, turmeric, and salt. People usually cook it by half-frying onions, adding sugar and vinegar to the meat, and then cooking it slowly, often over a wood fire.
See also
In Spanish: Linguiça para niños
