Solar do Queijo Serra da Estrela ★ 4.3
Cheese shop on Praça de Santa Maria in Celorico da Beira, listed on the municipal portal. The listed hours date from 2020, so phone 271 747 473 before going.
A guide to cheese shops in Dão.
Cheese Shops in Dão
Book wine experiences in Dão
Cycling Ecopista do Dão One Way, full-day from Coimbra
After hotel pickup in Coimbra, we take direction to activity start in Viseu. Day dedicated to bicycle touring on an old railway branch that has 130 years of transpor...
Cheese Shops in Dão, FAQ
What is Queijo Serra da Estrela made from?
Raw milk from Serra da Estrela (Bordaleira) and Churra Mondegueira ewes, curdled with thistle flower (Cynara cardunculus) instead of animal rennet, according to the DOP summary on the Portuguese traditional products site.
How big is a Serra da Estrela cheese?
The specification gives 8 to 20 cm in diameter, 4 to 6 cm in height and 0.4 to 1.7 kg. Wikipedia in Portuguese gives a weight of 0.7 to 1.5 kg.
How old is the cheese?
The DOP summary says the Romans introduced it, that King Dinis created the first cheese dairy in the municipality of Celorico da Beira in 1287, and that the cheese reached Lisbon and Porto in 1885. The cooperative Estrelacoop calls it the oldest of all Portuguese cheeses.
How is it served?
Portuguese Wikipedia says it should be served in slices, rind included, at under 18 degrees.
How long is Queijo Serra da Estrela Velho aged?
At least 120 days, against a 30-day minimum for the standard cheese, per the DOP summary and Estrelacoop.
How does it differ from the standard cheese?
The paste is semi-hard to extra-hard and orange-brown rather than semi-soft, buttery and white-yellowish, and the flavour is stronger and lightly peppery.
What is requeijão?
A cheese made by heating the whey left over from Serra da Estrela cheese until its proteins set, according to the DOP summary.
How is it traditionally eaten?
Plain, dissolved in milk or coffee, or with honey or pumpkin preserve, with or without walnuts, hazelnuts or almonds, according to Estrelacoop.