ingredient
Nora
By Carlos ArtigoAlentejo
A small round dried pepper used in Alentejo cooking, lending a mild, sweet smokiness to stews and sausages.
The nora is a dried sweet pepper widely used in the Alentejo. Small, round, and deep red, it is dried in the sun after harvest and reconstituted in warm water before use. The pepper contributes gentle sweetness and subtle smoky depth without significant heat.
Noras are essential in the production of massa de pimentão, a pepper paste used to season pork and flavour sausages. The nora connects Portuguese cuisine to broader Iberian and Mediterranean pepper traditions.
