Queijo Amarelo da Beira Baixa

Queijo Amarelo da Beira Baixa is a cured cheese produced within the demarcated Beira Baixa region of Portugal under the PDO designation Queijo da Beira Baixa. It is made from raw milk of Merino sheep or other locally adapted sheep breeds, alone or mixed with milk from Charnequeiro goats or other locally adapted goat breeds, and carries a minimum curing period of 40 days.

About this designation

Queijo Amarelo da Beira Baixa is one of three types of cured cheese covered by the PDO designation Queijo da Beira Baixa, registered under file number PDO-PT-0214 and granted EU protection on 21 June 1996. The applicant group is the Associação de Produtores de Queijo do Distrito de Castelo Branco, based in Idanha-a-Nova, Portugal. The raw milk used must come exclusively from sheep and goats reared and fed within the demarcated geographical area; only raw milk from Merino sheep or other sheep breeds well adapted to the region, and from Charnequeiro goats or other goat breeds well adapted to the region, is permitted, in any single-breed or mixed proportion. The minimum curing period for the Amarelo type is 40 days. Where curing exceeds 90 days, the qualifier 'Velho' is added to the designation. The Amarelo type takes the form of a short regular cylinder with slightly bulging sides; its rind is semi-hard, firm and solid, and yellow or dark yellow in colour. The Amarelo Velho variant has an orange or reddish rind. The geographical area encompasses all parishes in the municipalities of Castelo Branco, Fundão, Belmonte, Penamacor, Idanha-a-Nova, Vila Velha de Rodão, Proença-a-Nova, Vila de Rei, Sertã, Oleiros and Mação, together with specified parishes of the municipality of Covilhã. Milk production, manufacture, maturation and curing must all take place within this demarcated area. Packaging must carry the indication 'Queijo da Beira Baixa – Denominação de Origem Protegida' or 'Queijo da Beira Baixa PDO', together with the type indication Amarelo.

Source: The register document this entry was written from · retrieved August 28, 2026

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PDO on 21 June 1996 under file number PDO-PT-0214; eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013224.
• The minimum curing period for the Amarelo type is 40 days; curing beyond 90 days entitles the cheese to carry the qualifier 'Velho'.
• All feed supplied to the animals must come from the geographical area, except in defined times of scarcity, when feed from outside may not exceed 50% of dry matter on an annual basis.
• The Amarelo Velho type may be marketed immersed in containers with olive oil or sealed with a paprika paste and olive oil.

Tasting notes

Beira Baixa mixed-milk (sheep + goat) pressed cheese DOP. Distinctive yellow-amber paste color, semi-firm texture.

HoReCa use

Queijo Amarelo da Beira Baixa is marketed whole or in portions.

Packaging

• wheel-full-300g-1kg
• wedge-vacuum-200g