DOP, first protected 1985Sheep milk, rawSemi, softNatural rind
Raw ewe's milk from Serra da Estrela (Bordaleira) or Churra Mondegueira sheep, curdled with thistle flower rather than animal rennet, makes a low, soft cylinder from the mountains of central Portugal. The specification gives 8 to 20 cm across, 4 to 6 cm high and 0.4 to 1.7 kg. The demarcated region was created by Decreto Regulamentar 42/85 of 5 July 1985, and the EU registered the DOP in 1996 (Regulation 1107/96). It is not a Minho cheese. It is in this guide because Portugal Journeys names it among the best cheese pairings for Vinho Verde, and O Minho reported in 2023 that Queijaria Central in Braga, founded in 1952 by a man from the Beira, is known for it.
Taste: Mild, clean and slightly acidulous, with a buttery, semi-soft paste in white to pale yellow. The aged Velho is firmer and orange-brown, with a strong, lightly spicy and salty taste (DGADR).
Ageing: At least 30 days (the specification's minimum cure); the DGADR summary describes two ripening phases to about day 45, and the Velho version needs at least 120 days
Made in: 18 municipalities of the Serra da Estrela area across the districts of Viseu, Coimbra, Guarda and Castelo Branco. Not made in the Minho; it is a cheese of central Portugal
DOP, first protected 1986Sheep milk, rawSemi, softNatural rind
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.
Taste: 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.
Ageing: About 20 days in the drying house at 10 to 12 degrees C (DGADR); the specification sets a minimum cure of 16 days
Made in: Palmela, Sesimbra and Setúbal, on the Setúbal peninsula south of Lisbon. Not made in the Minho
DOP, first protected 1993Sheep milk, rawSemi, hardNatural rind
Raw ewe's milk from Merina Branca sheep, set with a cardoon (Cynara cardunculus) vegetable rennet at 25 to 28 degrees C, makes a semi-firm, white-yellowish cheese from the Alentejo. The traditional size is 13 to 16 cm across and 800 to 1,300 g; a smaller merendeira is 10 to 12 cm and 200 to 400 g. Decreto Regulamentar 6/93 of 16 March 1993 created the demarcated region, and the name was registered as an EU DOP in Regulation 1107/96. It is not a Minho cheese: it is here because Tara Q. Thomas matched Queijo de Nisa PDO with an Anselmo Mendes Alvarinho in a Culture magazine Vinho Verde pairing guide.
Taste: A slightly acidic flavour and an intense aroma, according to the DGADR register. The paste is semi-firm and white-yellowish, from a raw ewe's-milk cheese cured in two phases of 15 to 18 and 30 to 40 days.
Ageing: Two phases: 15 to 18 days at 8 to 10 degrees C, then 30 to 40 days at 10 to 14 degrees C
Made in: Eight municipalities of Portalegre district in the Alto Alentejo. Not made in the Minho; a Vinho Verde has been paired with it in print
