Queso de la Serena

Queso de La Serena is a soft to semi-hard, full-fat to extra full-fat wheel cheese made exclusively from raw merino sheep's milk within 21 municipalities in the south-east of the province of Badajoz. Its defining characteristic is coagulation using a natural vegetable coagulant derived from dried Cynara cardunculus flowers rather than animal rennet.

About this designation

Registered as a PDO on 21 June 1996 under file number PDO-ES-0086, with eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000012962, Queso de La Serena is produced within a defined area of 21 municipalities in the extreme south-east of the province of Badajoz, including Castuera, Cabeza del Buey, Campanario, Zalamea de la Serena, and Quintana de la Serena, among others. The specification requires that milk come exclusively from merino sheep farms located within that production area. The milk must be natural whole milk, meeting minimum analytical thresholds of at least 5 % protein, at least 7 % fat, and at least 18 % total dry extract. Coagulation is carried out using a natural vegetable coagulant obtained from dried Cynara cardunculus flowers, at a temperature of between 25 °C and 32 °C, over a period of between 50 and 75 minutes. The finished cheese is wheel-shaped with flat faces and convex sides, weighing between 750 g and 2 kg, standing between 4 cm and 8 cm in height, with a diameter of between 10 cm and 24 cm. Physico-chemical requirements include at least 50 % fat in dry matter, at least 50 % dry matter, a pH of between 5.2 and 5.9, and at least 35 % total protein in dry matter. Each marketed unit must bear a numbered secondary label issued by the Consejo Regulador de la Denominación de Origen Protegida 'Queso de La Serena' and affixed at the cheese-making plant in such a way that it cannot be reused. Commercial labels must carry the wording Denominación de Origen 'Queso de La Serena' and must be approved by the Consejo Regulador.

Source: The register document this entry was written from · retrieved August 26, 2026

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PDO on 21 June 1996 under file number PDO-ES-0086; eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000012962.
• Coagulation uses exclusively a natural vegetable coagulant from dried Cynara cardunculus flowers; the specification names no other coagulant.
• The production area is confined to 21 named municipalities in the extreme south-east of the province of Badajoz.
• Each cheese must carry a numbered secondary label issued by the Consejo Regulador and affixed so that it cannot be reused.

Tasting notes

Extremaduran sheep's milk soft pressed cheese DOP from Merina flocks (Badajoz). Aged 20+ days. Distinctive — coagulated with vegetable rennet (cardo thistle, not animal rennet), soft creamy oozing texture (often eaten with spoon when ripe), intensely savory-tangy-bitter flavor with characteristic vegetable-rennet bite.

HoReCa use

**Spoon-cheese service** — top sliced off, scooped with bread; on Extremaduran tabla de quesos; with regional cured meats.

Packaging

• wheel-full-700g-1kg
• wedge-vacuum-300g