Serra da Estrela cheese (''Queijo Serra da Estrela'') is a
cheese
Cheese is a dairy product produced in wide ranges of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. During production, ...
made in the mountainous region of
Serra da Estrela in
Portugal. Under the name "Queijo Serra da Estrela" it is a
Protected designation of origin
The protected designation of origin (PDO) is a type of geographical indication of the European Union and the United Kingdom aimed at preserving the designations of origin of food-related products. The designation was created in 1992 and its main ...
(PDO) in the
European Union as well as the UK.
[EU Serra da Estrela Profile](_blank)
(accessed 23 May 2009)
The region where the Serra da Estrela cheese can be manufactured is limited to an area of , which comprises the municipalities of
Celorico da Beira,
Fornos de Algodres,
Gouveia,
Mangualde,
Manteigas,
Nelas,
Oliveira do Hospital,
Penalva do Castelo,
Carregal do Sal and
Seia.
Manufacturing
The production of the cheese has to follow very rigorous rules. It is made from
sheep's milk
Sheep's milk (or ewes' milk) is the milk of domestic sheep. It is commonly used to make cultured dairy products such as cheese. Some of the most popular sheep cheeses include feta (Greece), ricotta (Italy), and Roquefort (France).
Sheep breeds
S ...
, mostly during the months of November to March. Its maturation period has specific norms and must last a minimum of thirty days. The texture of the paste varies depending on its age, from a very soft semi-liquid when young, to a soft but sliceable solid when older. It is a cured cheese created by
artisanal producers with a white or slightly yellow color and a uniform creamy consistency with at most a few small holes in it. Its particular qualities result from slow draining of curdled raw sheep's milk which has been coagulated by using local ''
Cynara cadunculus'' thistle rather than rennet.
The cheese is formed into a somewhat irregular wheel with slightly bulging sides and upper surface. It typically has a soft well-formed rind, smooth and thin with a uniform straw-yellow colour and is traditionally bound in cloth.
Ark of Taste
In 2014, the ''Serra da Estrela Cheese'' was boarded in the international catalogue of endangered
heritage foods
Heritage Foods Limited (commonly known as Heritage Foods) is one of the largest private sector dairy enterprises in Southern India.
History
The Heritage Group was founded in 1992 by Telugu Desam Party Chief and former Chief Minister of Andhr ...
named ''
Ark of Taste'' which is maintained by the global
Slow Food movement.
''Queijo Serra da Estrela'' in the "Ark of Taste"
Fondazione Slow Food per la Biodiversità. Retrieved 26 March 2014
See also
* List of Portuguese cheeses with protected status
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Serra Estrela Cheese
Portuguese cheeses
Portuguese products with protected designation of origin
Sheep's-milk cheeses
Cheeses with designation of origin protected in the European Union
Serra da Estrela