Corriqueijo
Cheese shop beside the Arco da Porta Nova in Braga, with Portuguese and imported cheeses, boards and a local producer's wine. Prados de Melgaço, a goat dairy near Melgaço, lists it as a stockist.
About Queijo de Azeitão
A small, soft cylinder of raw ewe's milk from the Setúbal peninsula, set with wild thistle (Cynara cardunculus) and cured for about 20 days. The specification gives a normal size of about 250 g, 6 to 11 cm across and 3 to 5 cm high, and a small size of about 100 g, with a thin, smooth, yellow rind. Decreto Regulamentar 49/86 of 2 October 1986 created the demarcated region, and the name entered the EU register in 1996 (Regulation 1107/96). It is not made in the Minho. It is here because Portugal Journeys describes it as similar to Serra da Estrela but slightly sharper, and says Vinho Verde works with it the same way.
Made in: Palmela, Sesimbra and Setúbal, on the Setúbal peninsula south of Lisbon. Not made in the Minho
On the plate
Slightly spicy, a mix of acidic and salty, with a clean, soft aroma (specification). The paste is buttery and creamy, white or slightly yellowish, and can run when the cheese is cut.
Rind: natural crust
Wine and cheese
What to pour with Queijo de Azeitão
Loureiro, dry unoaked white Vinho Verde
Our pickAzeitão is buttery and creamy, slightly spicy, acidic and salty. An unoaked varietal Loureiro, light to medium in body with high acidity, cleans the cream from the palate and leaves the spice alone.
Young Vinho Verde blend (Loureiro, Trajadura, Arinto) Vinho Verde
Our pickPortugal Journeys calls Azeitão similar in style to Serra da Estrela but slightly sharper, and says Vinho Verde works with it the same way: the wine's high acidity cuts the fat of a soft cheese.
Vinhão, light-bodied tinto verde Vinho Verde
Our pickAzeitão is soft, slightly spicy, acidic and salty. Vinhão, the native tinto verde grape, makes a light-bodied, low-tannin red with high acidity, so it refreshes beside the runny paste without any grip.
Sparkling Alvarinho, brut nature Vinho Verde
Our pickThe DGADR describes Azeitão as slightly spicy, acidic and salty. A zero-dosage traditional-method Alvarinho with long lees ageing brings bubbles and acidity that refresh the palate between bites of the buttery, creamy paste.
The grapes behind these winesLoureiroVinhãoAlvarinhoTrajadura
From the source
Where to buy and taste it
Rota do Queijo
Small cheese shop in central Guimarães selling cheeses, cheese boards and gift hampers. Prados de Melgaço, a goat dairy near Melgaço, lists it as a stockist.
Queijaria Central
Cheese shop, cafe and pastry counter on Avenida Central in Braga, founded in 1952 by a man from the Beira to bring his region's cheese north. It also sells Montalegre cured meats and regional cakes.
Cheese experiences nearby
Ponte de Lima fortnightly fair
Fair held every other Monday on the left bank of the Lima, with more than 300 stalls selling ceramics, cheeses, cured meats, bread and clothes. The council publishes each year's dates.
Barcelos Thursday fair
Weekly open-air fair on the Campo da República in Barcelos, known for its pottery. Its stalls also sell cheeses, cured meats and honey from small Minho producers. It starts early and runs to early afternoon.
Queijo de Azeitão: questions
How big is a Queijo de Azeitão?
The specification gives a normal size of about 250 g, 6 to 11 cm across and 3 to 5 cm high, and a small size of about 100 g, 5 to 7 cm across and 2 to 4 cm high.
Where is it made?
In the municipalities of Palmela, Sesimbra and Setúbal, according to the DGADR register. It is not a Minho cheese.
How long is it cured?
The DGADR summary says 20 days at 10 to 12 degrees C in the drying house; the specification sets a minimum cure of 16 days.
Does it go with Vinho Verde?
Portugal Journeys says it is similar in style to Serra da Estrela, slightly sharper, and works the same way with Vinho Verde's acidity.
Same cheeseboard
More cheeses from Vinho Verde
Plan the trip
Visit Queijo de Azeitão country
Tastings and tours where it is made, and somewhere to stay.
Vinho Verde
Wine Tour in Braga with Vinho Verde Tasting and snacks
All 295 experiences in Vinho VerdeBooking links go to our partners (GetYourGuide, Viator, Zen Hotels), who may pay us a commission. It never decides what we cover. Editorial standards.
Sources: protection register, tradicional.dgadr.gov.pt, eur-lex.europa.eu. The drawing is made from the cheese's recorded shape, rind and paste, not a photograph.