Queijo Serra da Estrela — Serra da Estrela cheese — is the most celebrated cheese of Portugal, and a defining product of the mountain region around Belmonte.
It is a DOP cheese — a protected designation of origin — and the oldest of all Portuguese cheeses, made in the Serra da Estrela region for many centuries. It is produced from the raw milk of the region's sheep, the Bordaleira and Churra Mondegueira breeds, and is still made by hand in the traditional way. What sets it apart is its texture: when cured to the right point, the cheese is so soft and creamy that it is eaten with a spoon, the top rind cut away like a lid.
The cheese is rich, buttery and full of flavour, traditionally eaten with good bread and a glass of regional wine. Belmonte lies within the Serra da Estrela country, and for the visitor a tasting of this cheese is one of the essential, unmissable flavours of the region.
⭐ Imprescindible:
Queijo Serra da Estrela
Destacados
- The most celebrated cheese of Portugal — a DOP product
- The oldest of all Portuguese cheeses
- Made from the raw milk of the region's sheep
- Still made by hand in the traditional way
- So soft when cured it is eaten with a spoon
Preguntas frecuentes
What is Queijo Serra da Estrela?
It is the most celebrated cheese of Portugal — a DOP cheese made from raw sheep's milk in the Serra da Estrela region.
Why is the cheese eaten with a spoon?
When cured to the right point, the cheese is so soft and creamy that the rind is cut away like a lid and the inside spooned out.
Is the cheese local to Belmonte?
Belmonte lies within the Serra da Estrela country, and the cheese is a defining product of the surrounding region.