Selection of Portuguese Cheeses

You, too, can savor the artistry and craftsmanship of Portuguese cheese by trying one (or several) of these fine varieties:

Sheep's milk cheeses

Undoubtedly the biggest group, sheep's milk cheeses are produced mainly in the mountainous massif of "Serra da Estrela", with an elevation of 2000 meters, about 200-250 km northeast of Lisbon.

- Azeitão (DOP)

- Castelo Branco (DOP)
- Évora (DOP)
- Nisa (DOP)
- Serpa (DOP)
- Serra da Estrela (DOP)
- Terrincho (DOP)
- Estribeiro
- Mondegueiro
- Tintus

Goat's milk cheeses

Most farmers and shepherds make cheese for their own consumption that are seldom found on the market. You'll come across some very good ones depending on your travels and the season, but there are only two whose designations cover a definite type.

- Cabra Transmontana (DOP)
- Rabaçal (DOP)
- Cabra Pimentão
- Ribafria

Fresh cheeses
Often presented at table in their molds (cinchos), these are excellent cheeses that are perfect for preparing the palate for the dishes to come, or that clear the palate when tasted between two ripened cheeses.

- Saloio
- Requeijao

Mixed milk cheeses

Sheep/goat, sheep/cow or sheep/goat/cow, in proportions that vary by region and season, mixed milk cheeses are found throughout Portugal. The two best known which are entitled to their own designations are Amarelo da Beira Baixa and Pico from Azores.

- Amarelo da Beira Baixa (DOP)

- Mestiço de Tolosa (IGP)
- Picante da Beira Baixa (DOP)
- Pico (DOP)
- Bica
- Toledo
- Tomar

Cow's milk cheeses

- São Jorge (DOP)

This aged cow's milk cheese has been in production since the 1400s, when settlers from various regions of the mainland in Portugal moved to the island of São Jorge (Saint George) in the Azores and brought along their livestock.