Cheese Identification - Spain and Portugal Flashcards
Queijo de Azeitão
Region: Arrabida Mountains Size: 2-3 ins diameter, 1-2 ins high Weight: 6-8oz Milk: Raw sheep (Lacuna + Saloia) Classification: Semi Soft Rennet: Thistle Rind: Natural
Notes: Although Azeitão is made year round, the best season for production tends to be between April and August when the sheep are browsing the summer vegetation. There is frequently a shortage of cheese in September and October. Best at 3 mos of age.
Queijo de Cabra Transmontano
Region: Tras-os-Montes
Raw goat’s milk from the Cabra Serrana breed
Animal rennet
1-2lb wheels
Aged for a minimum of 60 days during which the cheeses are turned and washed multiple times.
Semi-hard to extra-hard
Notes: Cheeses aged for longer periods are denoted with the adjective Velho, meaning “old.” The rinds of the cheeses are white, though sometimes the Velho cheeses are rubbed with olive oil and paprika, giving them a red color externally.
The local Serrana goats are raised following traditional methods and a natural diet, grazing on wild plants found in pastures, and in particular on the shoots and leaves of some trees and shrub-like plants such as broom and heather. Their diet helps give the aged cheese a characteristic aroma and flavor. The most productive period for their milk generally occurs between March and August. During the rest of the year, the production is reduced.
Queijo de Évora
Region: Alentejo Raw sheep’s milk (Merino) Thistle rennet Small format (up to 5" in diameter) Aged for 30 days to achieve a semi-firm paste or 90 days for a hard paste (firmer than Azeitao)
Notes: Usually eaten raw, as entrée or snack, with bread and wine, or as dessert.
At the beginning of the ripening process the cheese are turned twice a day, then once a day. Finally, the finished cheeses are washed and cleaned. The finished products are short and cylindrical in shape. Small cheeses have a diameter of 6-8 cm and height of 2-4 cm. Large cheeses (called merendeira) have a diameter of 12-14 cm and a height of 2-4 cm. The cheeses are light yellow in color, with a yellow rind that darkens with contact with air. The cheese has a particularly salty taste that it lightly spicy and acidic.
The cheese has traditionally been made from raw sheep’s milk and widely consumed in Alentejo and in the region of Lisbon, which has a large population that has migrated from Alentejo. It was created as a way to preserve sheep’s milk for later consumption, and the cheeses were stored in clay jars called talhas de barro, which were a common sight in Alentejo farmhouses in the Évora district in central southern Portugal. In the past, especially amongst poorer workers, a salary would often be paid in this cheese or other food products.
Queijo de Nisa
Region: Alentejo Raw sheep's milk (Merino) Thistle rennet Semi-firm to firm 2lb wheel
Aged a minimum of 45 days. Rubbed with brine at regular intervals to give the cheese a smoother texture. The rind is firm and orange-brown in color while the interior paste is ivory-white, dense and firm, with small “eyes” or holes.
Notes: Compared to many other cheeses made using thistle rennet, which often have a sour note, the flavors of Nisa are slightly sweet and cream-like, with notes of walnuts. Nisa pairs well with a crisp white wine and fruits such as apricots or plums.
Queijo do Pico
Region: Azores Raw cow's milk Animal rennet 1.5lb wheel Semi-soft
Aged a minimum of 20 days. The cheese is produced in cylindrical formats, just over 6” in diameter, and around 1” tall. Its fat content ranges from between 45% and 49%. The ripening of the cheese forms a yellow exterior irregular crust and yellowish-white, soft and pasty interior. Pico cheese has a salty taste and a characteristically intense aroma.
Queijo Mestiço de Tolosa
Region: Alentejo
Goat + sheep’s milk
Thistle rennet
.5-1lb wheel
Semi-soft. Aged 3-4 weeks.
Queijo Rabaçal
Region: Central
Goat + sheep’s milk
Animal rennet
.5-1lb wheel
Semi-hard, straw-colored paste. Aged minimum of 90 days.
Queijo São Jorge
Region: Azores
Raw cow’s milk
Animal rennet
20lb wheel
Aged at least 3 months. A cooked curd pressed cheese, São Jorge is made by three dairies on the island although just one produces cheese that has been awarded DOP status. The DOP status is awarded to cheeses from 3 months of age although usually wheels of São Jorge are released at three, four and seven months.
Notes: Discovered in the 15th century by the Flemish, the Azores have long been of strategic importance in terms of oceanic navigation. As a result, Azoreans developed a brisk trade with passing merchant ships, the crews of which sought food for their long voyages. Situated in the middle of the Atlantic Gulf Stream, the Azores have a mild, damp climate and, due to their volcanic geology, a richly fertile soil that supports abundant vegetation. All these factors contribute towards favorable conditions for dairying - the island is home to 20,000 dairy cows – and cheesemaking. Cheesemaking on the island dates back to when settlers moved there from the Netherlands and various other regions on the mainland, bringing with them both livestock and cheesemaking knowledge.
Queijo Serpa
Region: Alentejo
Raw sheep’s milk (Merino + Lacaune)
Thistle rennet
.5-1lb wheel
Aged at least two months. Wrapped in cloth band. When young, the cheese has a softer texture, referred to as “Amenteigado” which is often the preferred way of eating it since you can scoop it out with a spoon. Flavors at this point are complex, buttery and sheepy with a pronounced but well-integrated sour and bitter note – a direct result of the thistle rennet.
If allowed to mature, the texture becomes firmer and more robust. Flavors intensify considerably, becoming strong, spicy and aromatic. More rustic than Serra.
Queijo Serra da Estrela
Region: Plateau of Serra da Estrela
Raw sheep’s milk (Bordeliera or Churra)
Thistle rennet
2lb wheel
Aged at least 30 days. Wrapped in cloth band. Soft and spoonable when young, firmer as it ages.
Very historic (history extends back hundreds of years), classic Portuguese cheese.
Queijo Terrincho
Region: Trás-os-Montes
Raw sheep’s milk (Churra da Terra Quente)
Animal rennet
2lb wheel
Aged 30-90 days. Rubbed in paprika.
Queijos da Beira Baixa
Sheep/goat cheeses of Beira Baixa, south of Serra da Estrela: Castelo Branco (thistle rennet), Amarelo (animal rennet), Picante
Tetilla
DO. 1993
Pasteurized Cow
2lb Wheel
(Galician for small breast) describes the shape of the cheese.
Cabrales
DO Region: Asturias Size: 7-8 ins diameter, 4-5 ins high Weight: 6lbs Milk: Goat/Cow Classification: Firm Blue Rennet: Animal Rind: Leaf Wrapped Age: 2-6mnth Very strong. Best made with Spring, summer milk and eaten in Winter.
Picón Bejes-Tresviso
DO 1994 Region: Cantabria Size: 7-8 ins diameter, 4-5 ins high Weight: 6lbs Milk: Goat/Cow Classification: Firm Blue Rennet: Animal Age: DO regulations stipulate that final maturity be achieved by further curing in a natural limestone cave for a minimum of two months
