How Cheesy!
Apr 03 '01
The Bottom Line A guide to many of Portugal's fine cheeses.
This is by no means a comprehensive look into the Portuguese Cuisine. I will be concentrating on only one thing here - the Cheese!
I'm guessing that many of you are not very familiar with this country's cheeses at all. From what I've seen of the United States, it seems that unless you're in an area with a large Portuguese community, they aren't readily available. I am fortunate enough to live in one of those areas but even so, not all of the cheeses I'll mention below are available here. However, I will include those as it may be helpful to those planning a trip to that lovely country. Believe me, Portugal is a cheese lover's dream!
QUEIJO FRESCO
Translated, the name means Fresh Cheese. It's called this because it's not aged. Think of fresh mozzarella that's available in gourmet markets...the really fresh kind that's usually kept refrigerated and in water...now you've got the right idea :) These are little white round cheeses are are usually only a couple of inches across. It's a goat's milk cheese with a very well, fresh flavor...not overwhelming at all. They are very soft and can be sliced with a butter knife. These cheeses are very often served in Portuguese homes as well as restaurants before the meal as something to snack on while waiting. They're accompanied by a little bowl of crushed red pepper paste and you put a little of that on the cheese first - amount depending on your personal preference as far as spicy stuff goes. And it's absolutely delicious! For those that don't like crushed red pepper paste, you might want to sprinkle just a little bit of salt on the cheese first to bring out the flavor. This is one of my favorites and I have no problem finding this particular cheese in little Portuguese markets here in the States.
QUEIJO REQUEIJAO
This one tastes and looks similar to the Queijo Fresco above but it's a little firmer and drier. It's made from boiled sheep's milk. It's usually served on fig leaves and is more of a dessert thing - sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. Personally, I'm not a big fan of this. I much prefer the Queijo Fresco. I've never found this in markets here in the States...but then I've never asked/looked for it either.
QUEIJO DE SAO JORGE
This cheese is named after the island that's best known for making this type of cheese. And though it's now being produced in other areas, in my opinion the best of the Sao Jorge cheeses still come from that island. It's a cow's milk cheese that's very firm and flavorful. It's also quite pungent and the smell turns some people off. But believe me, the taste is worth it! Generally, it's a sharp cheese...though one particular wheel may be sharper than another. And a lot of times in Portuguese markets or restaurants you may be given a choice of a more picante or less picante one. Picante in Portuguese would refer to the sharpness of it. My opinion on this cheese is the sharper the better! This is another one I have no trouble finding here in at the Portuguese markets in Rhode Island.
QUEIJO ARREGANHADO
And now we get to one that is not only impossible to find here in the States, it's also hard to get a hold of in Portugal. It's made in Castelo Branco in the Beira Baixa area of mainland Portugal and that's probably the only place you're going to find it. It's a lean cheese made from ewe's milk and it's mild and mellow. And count yourself lucky if you can get your hands on it and try this delicacy!
QUEIJO CABREIRO
Going to this one next since Castelo Branco was mentioned in the previous cheese description and this one is also made in Castelo Branco. I call this one the Portuguese Roquefort. Though unlike Roquefort or bleu cheese, it does not develop blue mold veining. But it does develop a pale grayish cast when briefly aged. It cannot be mistaken for any other kind of cheese as the rind is distinctly wrinkled. The flavor of this goat's milk cheese reminds me of Roquefort. This is another one I've never found for sale here in the States.
QUEIJO CASTELINHOS
And from Castelo Branco we move on to Castelinhos which means little castles and it's one of my favorite breakfast cheeses. They make a wonderful Castelinhos on the island of Terceira which is located in the Azores Islands. I could totally live on breakfasts of this cow's milk cheese, warm bread, butter, and coffee (a very typical Portuguese breakfast, by the way). it's soft...but not super soft. Oh so creamy and oh so buttery! I have fond memories of partying in Portugal til the wee hours of the morning, stopping by the bakery with friends on the way home to pick up freshley made hot bread, and taking it home to eat with a bottle of Portuguese Green Wine and Castelinhos cheese. Heavenly! I have no problem finding this one in the Portuguese markets around here.
QUEIJO SERPA
This cheese can be two totally different things. Sometimes it is eaten fresh in which case it's soft and buttery. And it can also be eaten aged when it's sharp and semi-hard. The aging process for this cheese is quite different. The Serpa cheeses are ripened one to two years in cool caves and cleaned regularly and brushed with a paste of olive oil and paprika. You'll be able to spot this cheese immediately by the orange rind it develops due to the paprika. It has a nutty flavor and is a sheep's milk cheese. I've yet to find this one in the States.
QUEIJO TOMAR
These are little teeny tiny sheep's milk cheeses made in Tomar, Portugal. They are lightly salted, pretty dry, and taste nutty and smoky. Great to snack on with some of the yummy Portuguese sausages. Again, another one I've never seen here in the States.
QUEIJO DA SERRA
This is a VERY rich cheese produced in the Serra da Estrela mountains. It's made from the milk of long-horned sheep which graze in these mountains and live on a diet of wild herbs. Anything else could not be called a Queijo da Serra. The Portuguese are so serious about this that they've demarcated this region exactly as they do with fine wine regions. The production of this cheese is very controlled to ensure uniform high quality. They are only made during certain months of the year - the first cheeses arriving from the towns higher up and later from the towns lower down the mountainside, where the frost arrives later. Serra can be eaten when it's runny at which point it's buttery and reminiscent of Brie. Or it can be eaten ripened and firm. They are delicious and yet another treat I've been able to find out here.
So, on any visit to Portugal, my advice is to leave room for the cheese :)
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Member: Susan
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