Portuguese Cheese

Portugal is also a country of mountains and fragrant green pastures perfect for cattle rearing. The Portuguese consider cheese crafting nothing less of an art, and produce nothing but the best quality ‘queijo’ out there.

Serra da Estrela

With a rich tradition of handcrafted, artisan cheeses, up to 13 PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) status cheeses are currently produced in the country. Beeing a uniquely exquisite selection made from sheep, cow, and goat’s milks, many of them are very unique in the way they use Cardoon Thistle (Cynara cardunculus L.) to coagulate the milk instead of the traditional animal rennet. It is generally believed that this practice has its roots in the Iberian Jewish community who require cheese made in a kosher way (i.e., no animal-based rennet).

Azores

And while the textures, flavors and shapes may vary from region to region, the country’s cheese traditions remain consistent. Trade secrets have been passed down from generation to generation, and to this day many cheeses are still made by hand. The most popular Portuguese cheese, the "Queijo da Serra", is a sheep cheese, made in the Serra da Estrela region, where the highest peak of continental Portugal is located. Its smooth consistency and delicate flavour are very much comparable to the best Bries.

Queijo da Serra

You must also taste the delicious creamy little cheeses of Azeitão, especially popular in the spring. And rejoice in flavouring the "Serpa" from the Alentejo, sweet and unctuous when it is fresh, and stronger and dryer after one or two years of aging in a cool environment. Unless you prefer the "cabreiro", a strong goat cheese, or the "Queijo da Ilha", an extraordinary cheese from the Azores Islands that is also used grated (like parmesan) in numerous regional dishes.

Web references & Interesting links

http://www.ilovecheese.co.uk/Portuguese.html
http://www.gastronomias.com/queijos/ia_queijo.htm
http://www.cheeseline.com/gourmet-cheese/portuguese-cheese-214.aspx
http://www.theworldwidegourmet.com/?action=ingredient_show&id=489&lg=en

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.

Azeitão Cheese (DOP)

It’s said that only experienced artisans have the know-how to produce this gourmet favorite. Azeitão is a concentrated round of sheep's milk cheese made with cardoon thistle rather than traditional animal rennet. Azeitão is named for the village where it was born in the foothills of Setúbal’s Arrabida mountain range (south of Lisbon). Being made for generations, this cheese is mainly produced in the regions of Palmela, Sesimbra and Azeitão also known for their delicate white wines.

The pastures where the sheep of Azeitão graze are lush and covered in herbaceous scrub, giving the milk its characteristically rich flavor and a strong, earthy aroma. Molded in cloth, Azeitão has a rustic appearance that adds to its romance. Its texture ranges from soft and unctuous to firm and chewy - cut open the top and scoop its yellow cream onto slabs of nutty bread. Azeitão was awarded DOP, elevating its stature in Portugal and abroad.

When ripe, Azeitao has a rich, creamy, slightly sour flavor with hints of flowers or sweet herbs. When left at room temperature, the cheese becomes almost melty. The older the cheese the harder and drier the paste will get and the intenser the flavor. The gourmet cheese is at its best when it is full, but still very rewarding when just over the top and flatter in form. If you have never tasted Portuguese cheese before, this is a great starting place!

Castelo Branco Cheese (DOP)

Queijo de Castelo Branco is a typical handmade cured cheese with a half-compact or half-soft paste, slightly yellow with a few holes, obtained after raw sheep’s milk coagulation by infusion of "Cynara Cardunculus" thistle. It has a yellowish shade rind, a strong, distinctive aroma, but a mild and particular flavour.

Castelo Branco

Castelo Branco (meaning "white castle") spreads over the eastern slope of a small hill rising from a vast plateau. In 1851, the town was thus described by Alexandre Herculano:«The Beira Baixa, when one looks round, looks like a plain, and on its middle rises the hill of Castelo Branco, whose eastern slope the town brightens.» The situation endowed Castelo Branco with all the features of a fortress town and, for centuries, determined its purposes and duties. Its defensive function is witnessed by the Castle, erected in a good strategic position, from where, in a clear day, can be seen all of the upper course of the River Tagus, right up to the border.

For further information visit Castelo Branco official Web Site

Évora Cheese (DOP)

Évora or Queijo de Évora is a Portuguese gourmet cheese with a yellowish color that becomes gloomy in contact with air. This is a cured cheese made from raw sheep's milk, presented with a hard (60g & 90g; 120g & 200) or semihard (200g & 300g) consistency, of smooth rind.The paste is softer than the rind but has the same color, a very light yellow.

It has the aroma of a pasture and a creamy flavor of oats and fresh hay, little salty with fruity tones with a slightly acidic finish. The older the taste the sheepier the flavor becomes of this gourmet cheese. There is no rennet in this cheese and it is bound with thistle flower. This cheese is produced in the town of Évora in the Alentejo region (southern Portugal). Production begins in November and peaks in March and April. Sometimes these cheeses are preserved in olive oil and are then less hard.

Évora

The city was designated Ebora Cerealis during the Roman empire, gained the name Liberalitas Julia during the period of Emperor Julio Cesar. At the time it was an important city, as one can see looking at the ruins of the classical temple and the vestiges of the Roman fortress walls. It was conquered to the Moors in 1165 by Geraldo Sem Pavor (Geraldo, the Unfrightened), the year he restored his diocese. It was a royal residence, mainly during the reigns of king João II, king Manuel I and king João III. Its prestige was particularly relevant during the XVI century, when it was promoted to ecclesiastical capital and when the University of Évora was founded (subordinated to the Jesus Company) by Cardinal Infant Henrique, first Archbishop of the city. This was extinguished in 1759 (and would only be restored approximately two centuries later), after the Jesuit expulsion of the country due to an order given by Marquês de Pombal. Évora testifies the diverse styles and aesthetics and has collected throughout the years such important works of art that it has been classified by UNESCO, in 1986, as World Heritage.

Nisa Cheese (DOP)

The Alentejo is an extensive region covering almost a third of Portugal. The boundary in the north is the River Tejo; and in the south, the hills of the Algarve. In the east, it shares a frontier with Spain, and in the west it opens onto the Atlantic Ocean. Essentially rural and sparsely populated, it offers a landscape that is uncommonly well conserved. Alentejan cheeses and wines are consolidating their fame.

Queijo de Nisa is a raw ewe's milk DOP (Certificate of Protected Origin) status cheese made from the milk of Merino sheep. The milk is curdled after coagulation, provoked by the thistle. Salting is done directly on the paste after it is formed into its disc shape.

Nisa has a soft to half-hard paste with small eyes and a yellowish color. The flavor is robust and earthy when you first taste it. But then Queijo de Nisa's flavor opens up into a rich, herbaceous experience, with a slight citrus sweetness. It has a slightly acidulous finish, which comes from the particular aging of the sheep's milk. Potuguese cheeses can be very rare finds in this country, so enjoy this simply on its own or with fresh crusty bread. This cheese is versatile and complements both red and white wines. Pair with fresh, zippy Vinho Verde wines or jammy, fruity reds from the southern Alentejo.

Serpa Cheese (DOP)

Perhaps the most famous traditional cheese in southern Portugal, Serpa gets its strong scent and spicy flavor from the unique climate, soil and pasture of the Alentejo region. Made from sheep’s milk, the cheese is curdled with vegetable rennet and wrapped in cloth to mature. Inside the natural rind, the flesh is so creamy that it almost spills when cut. Serpa is one of the most genuinely crafted and high quality cheeses from Portugal.

Serpa is made solely from sheep’s milk, predominantly from the Lacaune, a French breed that has replaced the local Merino because it is more productive and easier to manage (the former can be milked by a machine) and can be raised in free-range conditions.

Queijo Serpa DOP is available in four diferent dimensions called "merendeiras" (weighting from 200 to 250 g), "cuncas" (800 to 900 g), "normais" (1000 to 1500 g) and "gigantes" (2000 to 2500 g).

The Presidium Slow Food Award
Slow Food’s Ark of Taste has cataloged hundreds of extraordinary products from around the world and the presidium Serpa is the only portuguese cheese to obtain this distinction.

"PDO status currently protects Serpa; however, the presidium was established to preserve the most traditional of the types of this cheese. The denomination covers a large geographic area that extends from the coast to the Spanish border, including a third of Portugal and passing by cork plantations and arid grazing lands. The PDO standards do not require long ageing periods, only that a slice of cut cheese must make a belly towards the outer edges. The market, in fact, prefers amanteigado cheese or rather cheese with a soft and melting consistency that one eats with a spoon (a type similar to those of the other two PDO of great renown, Azeitão and Serra da Estrela). However, traditional Serpa cheese is aged in an attic on cane mats and is consumed when mature. This rarer type of Serpa (firm and semi-firm) is markedly more interesting with more complex sensory qualities and personality. The presidium intends to protect the traditional version of Serpa cheese. The PDO standards will have to require narrower boundaries on the historical area, indicate a minimum ageing period and give the product uniform labeling, as it is currently impossible to precisely identify the type of Serpa by sight, as under this name one finds many different cheeses."

Source: http://www.slowfoodfoundation.org/eng/presidi/dettaglio.lasso?cod=333.

Serpa Solar Power Plant
Serpa Solar Power Plant construction began in June 2006 and was completed on January 2007. This is the worlds 2nd largest solar power plant capable of producing 11 megawatt electricity from the sun with no fuel costs or emissions. The Serpa plant is on a 60-hectare (150-acre) hillside and is a model of clean power generation integrated with agriculture.

Serra da Estrela Cheese (DOP)

This 12th century DOP cheese is famous throughout the world for its unique character and intense flavor. Made in the mountains of Serra da Estrela (also a national park), in the Beiras region, this traditional washed rind farmhouse cheese is described as the "king of Portuguese cheeses".

The Bordaleira ewes thrive on a diet of wild herbs, scrub, gorse blossoms and brambles, producing thick, luscious, aromatic milk. Serra da Estrela is handmade in small batches using wild thistle (Cynara cardunculus) to coagulate the milk. The curds are broken by hand instead of cut. It takes an average of three hours to make one cheese and only two or three are made per day. After the wheel is salted, it is then wrapped in cloth and aged in caves.

It is available in two stages of ripeness, that correspond to two kinds of texture:"Amanteigado" (like butter) - this is when Queijo Serra da Estrela is younger, the rind is sticky and pungent and the interior is so creamy that it is almost spoonable; "Curado" (cured) - as it ages, the rind becomes harder and smoother with the interior becoming denser and sliceable. Either way, this is an incredible Portuguese treasure. It has a perfumed intensity and a sweet grassy taste that is fruity and mildly bitter. All that's needed is some fresh crusty bread and a bottle of wine. Perfect!

Mondegueiro Cheese

Mondegueiro is a deliciously herbaceous raw sheep's milk cheese from north-central Portugal. Traditionally, the soft, gooey and mild paste is scooped out of its leathery clothbound rind with pieces of hearty peasant bread. As the wheels age, their texture becomes harder and chewier. Mondegueiro is a smaller version of the Serra da Estrela, made by the same cheesemaker from the same herd of sheep. Mondegueiro makes a beautiful presentation for just a couple of people or as a part of a cheese selection for a larger group. Pair this cheese with spicier reds. Each wheel weighs approximately one pound.

Terrincho Cheese (DOP)

Originating from the Trás-os-Montes region of Portugal, this sheep’s milk cheese is characterized by a cylindrical shape and a flat, even rind that's covered with paprika. Inside, the straw colored flesh has an oily texture and a soft, smooth flavor. One variety of Terrincho is cured in wooden barrels filled with rye to give it a distinctive rye taste.

Tintus Cheese

The superb Flor de Cardo Tintus is a semi-soft sheep cheese with a fruity, wine like flavor. The outside of Tintus is mottled with red, white, beige and gray streaks on a burlap textured rind. This cheese is made from unpasteurized milk and coagulated with thistle flower. Produced in Setúbal region, south of Lisbon, comfortably embraced by the Sado river (with its dolphins) and Arrábida, its most precious treasures, which fortunately enjoy the status of protected areas. This happy coincidence has enabled Setúbal to be admitted to the exclusive and coveted Club of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World. This distinction has served to reinforce the quality of its fine sandy beaches and clear blue waters, offering superb conditions for water sports such as canoeing, sailing, windsurfing, water-skiing, angling and diving.

Cabra Transmontana Cheese (DOP)

Queijo de Cabra Transmontana DOP is a Portuguese gourmet cheese. This cheese comes from the north-western part of Portugal and is made from the milk of the Serrana Negra goat. The milk is very rich in butterfat and protein.
After the Cabra Transmontano is formed, it is salted and allowed to age for a minimum of 60 days.
This lovely gourmet goat cheese is semi hard with a natural white rind with a firm, hard, slightly unctuous texture. Excellent for grating and as a table cheese.

Rabaçal Cheese (DOP)

Produced in Beira Litoral region, 200 km north of Lisbon, Rabaçal is a cheese weighing about 1 kg, with a white curd, most often served when fresh. You'll find Rabaçal cheeses made from goat's milk or a mixture of milk, but they're only derivatives - though sometimes honorable ones - of the real thing. The geographical area of production includes some areas in the villages of Penela, Alvaiázere, Ansião, Condeixa-a-Nova, Soure and Pombal.

Cabra Pimentão Cheese

This one is an aged goat wheel, its rind rubbed with olive oil and paprika, giving it a handsome, ruddy appearance. One of the cheeses that proves you don't have to be strong to be nuanced and delicious: fairly gentle, it's woodsy, rustic, and nutty, with a light smoky note from the paprika and a sweet tang at the end, fading into a clean finish. Pasteurized. It may also be found attractively packaged in a wooden crate.

Ribafria Cheese

Ribafria is a wonderfully zesty gourmet cheese produced in Torres Vedras. This aged semi-hard goat’s milk cheese is literally encrusted in black peppercorns for a flavor that is piquant and pungent. Produced in Torres Vedras, Ribafria is rather spicy and makes an assertive statement on the palate and is better if you rub the peppercorns off before serving.The cheese is excellent when paired with a strong red wine or portuguese marmelada sweet (quince paste) for a pleasant contrast.

Saloio Cheese

A small unsalted firm fresh cheese, always served in the cylindrical molds (cinchos) used in making it, about 5 cm in diameter and 6 cm high. This cheese is often served as an appetizer with a little salt.
In some restaurants in and around Lisbon, it is usual to offer these cheeses as an hors d'oeuvre. They're produced in the region between Lisbon and Sintra and can also be found cured.

In the old days, farm wives from around the capital would go door to door two or three times a week to sell their products which they transported in attractive rattan baskets with two flap lids.

Requeijão Cheese

Requeijao is produced from whey, the residue of cheese production.
About 10% whole milk is added to the whey and the mixture is heated (hence the Italian name ricotta, meaning recooked), and skimmed. The skimmed thin cream is placed into round wicker baskets and drained. This produces the requeijao, literally "re-cheese", low in fat and according to local tradition, it may be served with honey, pumpkin jam, or merely sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon.The best known requeijao is from Serra da Estrela, followed by that from the Saloios region near Lisbon.

Amarelo da Beira Baixa Cheese (DOP)

This is a raw sheep and goat milk cheese from Portugal's Beira Baixa region, located between Portugal's central mountains and the Spanish border. Made with animal rennet, Amarelo has a yellowish paste and small irregular holes; its texture ranges from semi-soft to firm. The flavor of this artisan cheese reflects its homeland: rugged and rustic with a hint of Portugal's sea salt.

Not a cheese for the faint of heart, Amarelo has a distinctive aroma and a forceful, buttery flavor. Along with its piquancy, the cheese parts with a pleasant sensation. Grassy overtones of sheep's milk develop as they linger, leaving you with the desire to take another bite. Pair Amarelo with Pinot Noir or other, spicier reds that can bring out the rich, earthy flavors of the milk.