Queijo de Azeitão

Queijo de Azeitão is a cured, buttery, semi-soft ewe's milk cheese, white or light yellow in colour, with few or no holes. It is produced exclusively within the subdistricts of Palmela, Sesimbra and Setúbal, using raw ewe's milk coagulated solely by the action of cardoon (Cynara cardunculus, L.) sourced from within that same delimited area.

About this designation

Queijo de Azeitão holds PDO status, registered under file number PDO-PT-0217 in the EU register (eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013227), with EU protection granted on 21 June 1996. The protected name as registered is Queijo de Azeitão. The specification restricts production to the subdistricts of Palmela, Sesimbra and Setúbal on the Setúbal Peninsula of Portugal. The milk used must be pure, raw ewe's milk; no other milk is permitted. Coagulation is achieved exclusively through the action of a cardoon steep (Cynara cardunculus, L.) originating in the delimited region; no other coagulant is specified. The curd is processed by slow draining after coagulation. The resulting cheese is described in the specification as cured, of buttery, semi-soft consistency, white or light yellow in colour, and presenting few or no holes. The specification attributes the organoleptic qualities of the cheese to the edaphological and climatic conditions of the area, which provide the local sheep breed with pastures rich in flora. The inspection body named in the specification is ARCOLSA — Associação Regional dos Criadores de Ovinos Leiteiros da Serra da Arrábida, addressed in Setúbal. The applicant group at the time of registration was Agrupamento de Produtores de Queijo de Azeitão, Lda. Labelling must carry the designation Queijo de Azeitão and the indication Controlled Denomination of Origin.

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-PT-0217 (eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013227).
• Production is restricted to the subdistricts of Palmela, Sesimbra and Setúbal; no other area is permitted.
• Coagulation must be achieved solely by cardoon (Cynara cardunculus, L.) sourced from within the delimited region; animal rennet is not specified.
• The milk must be pure and raw ewe's milk; the specification permits no other milk type.

Tasting notes

Estremaduran sheep's milk soft pressed cheese DOP from Azeitão area (Setúbal). Similar profile to Serra da Estrela — vegetable-cardo-rennet, soft amanteigado spoon-cheese. Smaller wheels.

HoReCa use

Spoon-cheese service; pairs with Setúbal Moscatel.

Packaging

• wheel-full-200-300g
• wedge-vacuum-150g

Seasonality