SERRA DA ESTRELA POD
Serra da Estrela PDO Cheese
“… it is the oldest of all portuguese cheeses, …”
SERRA DA ESTRELA CHEESE a cured cheese, with a semi-soft paste. It is obtained by slowly draining the curd, after coagulation by the thistle flower (Cynara Cardunculus, L.) raw milk from sheep of autochthonous breeds (native sheep breeds), the Serra da Estrela and/or Churra Mondegueira breed, produced in the defined geographical area (Serra da Estrela). It has a smooth, clean, and slightly acidic flavour and aroma.
It has a minimum maturation time of 30 days. When the maturation takes places for a minimum period of 120 days, it is called Serra da Estrela Old Cheese, with a pleasant aroma and flavour, persistent, clean, from strong to slightly strong and slightly spicy and salty.
Particular characteristics: the milk used to obtain the Serra da Estrela PDO Cheese comes from sheep raised in the mountains range that gave it its name, with access to spontaneous pastures.
History: The Serra da Estrela PDO Cheese is the oldest of all portuguese cheeses, being internationally recognized for its organoleptic characteristics.
It was introduced in Portugal by the roman people. Already in the middle age was mentioned in the poems of Gil Vicente.
In 1287, King Dom Diniz created the first cheese factory in the municipality of Celorico da Beira, in the Serra da Estrela region.
This cheese represented a nutritious and long-lasting food source, which is why it was used by great explorers during their voyages.
In 1885 arrived in the cities of Lisbon and Porto, increasing his fame.
SERRA DA ESTRELA CHEESE
30 days maturation
SERRA DA ESTRELA OLD CHEESE
120 days maturation
SUGGESTIONS
how to serve
how to store
The Serra da Estrela PDO Cheese should be served by the slice as a secular and traditional tasting. It has been combined in other ways, such as starters and desserts, used by chefs such as Chef Diogo Rocha.
Serra da Estrela PDO Curd Cheese
“…a well-connected texture, uniformly creamy, smooth to the cut and white in colour”
SERRA DA ESTRELA CURD CHEESE is the product obtained by precipitation or coagulation, by heat, of the proteins contained in the whey resulting from the processing of Serra da Estrela PDO Cheese. Raw milk can be added to the whey, obtained from milking Serra da Estrela and Churra Mondegueira sheeps, and sometimes, under very specific and duly authorized conditions, goat’s milk can be add too.
It presents a well-connected texture, uniformly creamy, smooth to the cut and white colour. The taste and amora are pleasant, melting in the mouth.
Particular characteristics:The art of production of Serra da Estrela PDO Curd Cheese is considered a cultural heritage of the geographical area of production, being the characteristics of the product easily perceptible and recognized by the inhabitants of that region and by regular consumers. Serra da Estrela curd cheese PDO is very appreciated for being a product with a high percentage of proteins and low-fat content. It can be consumed plain, dissolved in milk or coffee, mixed with honey, pumpkin jam with or without pieces of walnut, hazelnut or almond.
Production Area: The geographical area of production of the Serra da Estrela Curd Cheese PDO coincides with the geographical area of production of the Queijo Serra da Estrela PDO Cheese.
History: The history of Serra da Estrela Curd Cheese is fully documented, and its traditional presentation in small straw baskets and wrapped in cabbage or mulberry leaves is well known. If, in the past, the whey resulting from the production of Serra da Estrela Cheese, plain or with corn bread, rye or mixed soups, served, in most cases, to satisfy the hunger of a ranch of children of the least affluent families in the region, currently stands out for the recognition of its important food value.
SUGGESTIONS
how to serve
how to store
It can be consumed simple, dissolved in milk or coffee, mixed with honey, pumpkin jam with or without pieces of walnut, hazelnut or almond.
Serra da Estrela PDO Lamb
“… the meat … is particularly tender and juicy…”
SERRA DA ESTRELA PDO LAMB meat, obtained from Serra da Estrela lambs, is particularly tender and tasty, presenting a well-distributed interstitial and subcutaneous fat.
Lambs are fed only with breast milk. The carcasses weigh up to 7kg and have a well-distributed subcutaneous fat.
Particular characteristics: The Serra da Estrela sheep is a medium-sized breed, white or black coloured, distinguished by its forward-curved horns and well-developed udder in females. As it is a dairy breed, it has been selected over the centuries to obtain the milk used in the production of Serra da Estrela Cheese PDO.
Production Area: The production area of Serra da Estrela lamb PDO coincides with the geographical area Serra da Estrela PDO Cheese, covering a range of 3.143,16 km2 and encompassing the municipalities of Carregal do Sal, Celorico da Beira, Fornos de Algodres, Gouveia, Mangualde, Manteigas, Nelas, Oliveira do Hospital, Penalva do Castelo and Seia, as well as some parishes in the municipalities of Aguiar da Beira, Arganil, Covilhã, Guarda, Tábua, Tondela, Trancoso and Viseu.
History:There are numerous studies and historical records that attest that sheep farming and cheese production in this region are millenary. Hence this lamb has resulted from the conciliation, over the centuries, between the interest of Serra da Estrela cheese producers in milking the ewes as early as possible and the physiological characteristics of this breed, which allow to obtain, in the first month of the lamb’s life, high daily replacements and a good acceptance by consumers. This lamb is therefore closely linked by tradition to the production area of Serra da Estrela Cheese, as well as to the habits and cuisine of the region, where it is also known as “canasta lamb”.
(…) Serra da Estrela Cheese. The paste, so thin, is like no other from the same category in Europe.
António Maria de Oliveira Bello (Olleboma)
Founder of the Portuguese Society of Gastronomy, president of Portuguese Society of Natural Sciences, an epicure by nature, he established himself as one of the greatest portuguese gastronomists. A great booster of national cuisine.