Serra da Estrela (Queijo Serra da Estrela) is the king of Portuguese cheese and has been made for centuries by shepherds in the mountains of Serra da Estrela in the Beira region. The cheese is entirely hand-made, in the literal sense of the term, as the curds are broken up by hand and not cut up with an implement as is usually the case. Serra da Estrela is so soft that it is almost spreadable. It has a rich, perfumed intensity as a result of the superb grazing, and the sweet, slightly burnt coffee character of the sheep's milk comes through on the finish. The affinage takes 30 to 40 days.

Serra da Estrela

Casa Matias

Azeitão is a DOP protected, handcrafted, unpasteurised sheep's milk cheese made at the foothills of the Arrábida Mountains in the south west of Portugal. It is a produced only in the demarcated municipalities of Setubal, Palmela and Sesimbra.

Azeitão is a cured cheese, of a buttery, pudding-like, semi-soft consistency, white or light yellow in colour, with few or no holes. Since the flower of the locally grown cardoon plant acts as a coagulant, it is truly a vegetarian cheese. Its taste has a mix of sour and salty with a continual herbaceousness. The cheese has a minimum curing time of 21 days.

Azeitao

Queijaria Simões

Queijo de Evora or Evora is a DOP protected semi hard-unpasteurised sheep’s milk cheese from the town of Evora in Southern Portugal. The milk used to make the cheese is from Merino ewe, a breed more popular for its wool. Production for this cheese starts in November and peaks in March and April when milk production is at its highest.
The inedible rind and pate of Evora is delicate, pale yellow and quite meaty. Flavours mirror the green pastures and the thistle flower used to coagulate milk. It passes on a slightly bitter but not distasteful flavour to the cheese. This is contrasted by salty, fruity notes and a citrusy tang. As Evora ages, these flavours become more distinct and commanding.
Crisp whites and light to medium-bodied red wines compliment the sharp taste of the cheese. Because of its high-salt content, Evora particularly suits salads.

Best Portuguese Cheese

Serra da Estrela

Azeitao

Evora De L'Alentejo

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