The alheira is a Portuguese sausage that is very typical of the North, and the most famous alheiras come from the regions of Mirandela, Vinhais, and Montalegre. Traditionally, the alheira has as main ingredients pork, chicken, olive oil, bread, and seasonings such as salt, garlic, and spicy or sweet paprika. There are also the (real) game alheiras (alheiras de caça), which may contain hare, pheasant, duck or partridge. In the final stages of making alheiras, they will spend some time in the smokehouse where they will lose water and acquire flavor from the smoke. The diversity of combinations between ingredients and time in the smokehouse make the different type of alheiras quite distinct amongst themselves. One of the particularities of the alheira is its doughy interior, that while not being homogenous, must really contain noticeable pieces of meat and bread. The alheira should be grilled, fried, or baked, and its texture and flavor should translate softness and creaminess, with the delicateness of the olive oil, a fair amount of salt, and an aromatic smokiness. Although it may not be the most popular way to eat this Portuguese sausage, it is very traditional to eat baked alheiras, sided with boiled potatoes and greens. There is also an important legend associated with the alheira: folk tradition has attributed the creation of the alheira to the New Christians, i.e. the Jews that were forced to convert by the Portuguese Inquisition during the 15th century. The alheira (at the time) would have been made with chicken, veal, and game meat (thus avoiding the use of pork, a forbidden ingredient for the Jews) and would be hung over the fireplace disguising as regular pork sausage, throwing off the unsuspecting goons of the Inquisition.