A guide to Portuguese cheese — Serra da Estrela, Queijo de Azeitão, São Jorge, and more. Portugal's distinctive sheep's-milk and island cheeses.
Portugal has a small but distinctive cheese tradition, dominated by sheep's-milk cheeses — including some famously soft, spoonable ones set with thistle rather than animal rennet. From the mountains of the mainland to the volcanic Azores, here are the Portuguese cheeses you should know.
A Sheep's-Milk Heritage
Portuguese cheese leans heavily on sheep's milk, especially in the mountainous interior, producing rich, distinctive cheeses. A signature feature of several is the use of cardoon thistle as a vegetable coagulant instead of animal rennet, which gives the cheeses a particular flavor and makes them suitable for some vegetarians. Many are protected by DOP status.
Serra da Estrela: The King
Serra da Estrela is Portugal's most celebrated cheese — a DOP sheep's-milk cheese from the Serra da Estrela mountains, set with cardoon thistle. When ripe, it becomes so soft and runny that it's eaten by cutting off the top rind and scooping out the molten interior with a spoon. Rich, buttery, and tangy, it's a true delicacy and a point of national pride.
Queijo de Azeitão and Other Thistle-Set Cheeses
Azeitão, from near Lisbon, is a small, soft, thistle-set sheep's-milk cheese in the same buttery, spoonable style as Serra da Estrela, with a pungent, tangy flavor. Similar soft, thistle-set cheeses are made elsewhere in Portugal, such as Serpa and Évora in the Alentejo. These spoonable cheeses are among Portugal's most distinctive.
São Jorge: The Island Cheese
São Jorge is a firm, aged cow's-milk cheese from the volcanic island of the same name in the Azores. Sharp, savory, and slightly spicy, with a hard texture suited to slicing and grating, it's the Azores' most famous cheese and a contrast to the soft mainland sheep's cheeses. Its bold flavor reflects long aging on the island.
Other Portuguese Cheeses
Portugal makes a range of other cheeses, including firm and semi-soft sheep's and mixed-milk cheeses, fresh cheeses (queijo fresco) eaten young with bread, and the cured Queijo de Nisa and others. The small fresh cheeses, often served as an appetizer with bread and olives, are an everyday pleasure.
How to Enjoy Portuguese Cheese
The classic experience is a ripe Serra da Estrela or Azeitão, scooped onto crusty bread, paired with a glass of Portuguese red or a fortified wine like Port. Add a firm São Jorge for contrast and some fresh queijo fresco with olives. Portuguese cheeses pair beautifully with the country's wines.
Pairings
Portuguese cheeses pair with the country's wines — robust reds, Vinho Verde, and fortified wines like Port and Madeira — as well as with crusty bread, olives, and quince paste (marmelada). The soft thistle-set cheeses are especially good with Port.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Portugal's most famous cheese?
Serra da Estrela, a soft, spoonable sheep's-milk cheese set with cardoon thistle, eaten by scooping out its molten interior.
Why are some Portuguese cheeses set with thistle?
Cardoon thistle is used as a vegetable coagulant instead of animal rennet, giving the cheeses a distinctive flavor and making them suitable for some vegetarians.
What is São Jorge cheese?
A firm, sharp, aged cow's-milk cheese from the Azores island of São Jorge, contrasting with the soft mainland sheep's cheeses.