Queijo Rabaçal

Queijo Rabaçal is a cured cheese made from a mixture of ewe's and goat's milks, of semi-hard to hard consistency, with a dull white paste containing few small irregular holes or none at all. Production relies on animal rennet and artisanal slow drainage of the curds. The designation is registered as a PDO under file number PDO-PT-0221.

About this designation

Queijo Rabaçal holds PDO status, registered in the EU under file number PDO-PT-0221 and eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013231, with protection dating from 21 June 1996. The protected name as registered is Queijo Rabaçal. The specification defines the product as a cured cheese of semi-hard to hard consistency, produced from a mixture of ewe's and goat's milks. The paste is dull white in colour and may present a few small irregular holes spread through the mass, or none at all. Coagulation is achieved through the action of an animal rennet, and the curds are subsequently drained slowly by artisanal methods. The geographical area covers the Rabaçal zone, encompassing the municipalities of Penela, Pombal, Soure, Ansião, Alvaiázere, and Condeixa, spanning the Coimbra and Leiria districts. The specification notes that the smell and flavour of the cheese reflect the special nature of the regional flora on which the sheep graze, and that local climatic conditions and traditional know-how contribute to its characteristics. The applicant group on record is COPRO RABAÇAL - Cooperativa de Produtores do Queijo do Rabaçal, CRL, based in Penela. The inspection and certification body named in the specification is ADSICÓ QUALIDADE - Centro de Controlo e Certificação de Produtos Agro-Alimentares da Área de Sicó, operating under the Direcção Regional de Agricultura da Beira Litoral in Coimbra. Labelling must carry the designation Queijo Rabaçal and the Denomination of Origin statement.

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-0221 and eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013231.
• The specification requires a mixture of ewe's and goat's milks coagulated with animal rennet and drained slowly by artisanal methods.
• The paste is described in the specification as dull white, semi-hard to hard, with few small irregular holes or none at all.
• The geographical area is confined to the municipalities of Penela, Pombal, Soure, Ansião, Alvaiázere, and Condeixa in the Coimbra and Leiria districts.

Tasting notes

Beira Litoral mixed-milk pressed cheese DOP from Rabaçal area. Pale ivory paste, balanced flavor.

HoReCa use

Queijo Rabaçal is associated with the Beira Litoral cheese board tradition.

Packaging

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