Queijo Serra da Estrela

Queijo Serra da Estrela is a raw-milk sheep's cheese produced within a defined upland area of Beira, Portugal, using milk exclusively from Bordaleira Serra da Estrela and Churra Mondegueira ewes, coagulated with cardoon flower heads. Ripening time determines whether the cheese is classified as Serra da Estrela or Serra da Estrela Velho, the latter requiring more than 120 days of ripening.

About this designation

Registered as a PDO under file number PDO-PT-0213, with EU protection dating from 21 June 1996, Queijo Serra da Estrela is produced from the raw milk of Bordaleira Serra da Estrela and Churra Mondegueira ewes farmed extensively or semi-extensively within a precisely delimited geographical area. That area encompasses the administrative districts of Carregal do Sal, Celorico da Beira, Fornos de Algodres, Gouveia, Mangualde, Manteigas, Nelas, Oliveira do Hospital, Penalva do Castelo and Seia, together with specified parishes in the districts of Aguiar da Beira, Arganil, Covilhã, Guarda, Tábua, Tondela, Trancoso and Viseu. Coagulation is achieved by the addition of salt and cardoon flower heads to unadulterated raw milk. The curds are cut, transferred to a cloth, placed in open adjustable moulds and pressed to extract whey; the process involves two turnings and manual or mechanical pressure. Ripening proceeds in two stages and may occur under natural conditions or in a controlled atmosphere. Cheese ripened for more than 120 days is classified as Serra da Estrela Velho and must be labelled accordingly. Preservation, cutting and packaging may only take place within the region of origin. Each unit or portion must carry a numbered certification mark ensuring full traceability. The inspection body is Beira Tradição — Certificação de Produtos da Beira, Lda, based in Castelo Branco. Mandatory labelling must include the words 'Queijo Serra da Estrela — Denominação de Origem Protegida' or, for the aged variety, 'Queijo Serra da Estrela Velho — Denominação de Origem Protegida', together with the Community PDO logo and the certification mark bearing a serial number.

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-0213; eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013223.
• Coagulation uses cardoon flower heads added to unadulterated raw milk; no animal rennet is specified or permitted by the method of production.
• Cheese ripened for more than 120 days is classified as Serra da Estrela Velho and must carry that term on its label.
• Preservation, cutting and packaging must take place within the defined region of origin; the specification permits no other location for these operations.

Tasting notes

Beira sheep's milk soft pressed cheese DOP from Bordaleira de Serra da Estrela breed flocks. Coagulated with vegetable thistle rennet (cardo), aged 30+ days for "amanteigado" (buttery/runny) style, 4+ months for "velho" (aged hard) style. Distinctive — soft amanteigado is spoon-cheese style with creamy oozing texture and intensely savory-tangy thistle-rennet bite; velho aged version is firm and pungent — Portugal's most prestigious cheese.

HoReCa use

Spoon-cheese service — top sliced off, scooped with crusty bread; the iconic Portuguese tábua de queijos centerpiece; pairs with Dão and Beira reds, and with Madeira Sercial.

Packaging

• wheel-full-500g-1.7kg
• wheel-half-vacuum-500g
• wedge-vacuum-300g
• wedge-vacuum-150g
• gift-pack-with-cloth-700g

Seasonality