The Serra da Estrela cheese is the oldest Portuguese cheese and recognized as one of the most special cheeses in the world. The production process is still traditional. In 1287, King Dom Dinis established the first cheese factory in Serra da Estrela. At that time, the cheese was already tasty and nutritious with an excellent shelf life and therefore regularly present on the travels of the shepherds and great explorers of the time. In 1996, the European Union granted it a protected designation of origin for quality and authenticity (DOP label).
What makes the cheese so special?
The cheese has been made by hand for hundreds of years. The preparation is completely artisanal. It consists of only three ingredients: raw and whole sheep's milk, thistle flour and sea salt. Serra da Estrela cheese is made only from the milk of the Bordaleira da Serra da Estrela or Churra Mondegueira breed, which graze freely in the mountainous area of the Serra da Estrela. This involves manual milking, filtering the milk through white cloths, adding ground thistle flour with salt and a whole process of filtration, pouring, salting, pressing and aging that is carried out in several stages, carefully maintaining times and temperatures.
What is the result?
A cheese with a semi-soft buttery interior and a yellowish-white color with a persistent aroma and flavor, pure, strong and slightly spicy.
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