Queijo de Azeitão

Queijo de Azeitão is a Portuguese sheep's milk cheese made from raw milk, with a Protected Designation of Origin in the European Union. It takes its name from the town of Azeitão, at the foothills of the Serra da Arrábida, and is now produced across the Setúbal area, about 40 kilometres south of Lisbon.

History

The cheese takes its name from Azeitão, the village where it was originally made and which remains its point of reference. The protected designation reflects a pastoral tradition built around the sheep flocks of the Setúbal peninsula, whose milk was turned into cheese on family farms.

For generations the cheese was made by traditional methods, and today its production is shared among the subdistricts of Palmela, Sesimbra and Setúbal. European recognition set the conditions for the geographical area and the process, which helps distinguish it from other Portuguese sheep's milk cheeses.

In 2014 it was named one of the 50 best gastronomic products in the world by the Great Taste Awards, a milestone that helped bring it to wider attention beyond Portugal.

Culture

At the Portuguese table, Azeitão cheese is traditionally served at room temperature with rustic bread. Its creamy paste and slightly tangy rind make it a choice for dessert or for grazing, and it is often paired with a ruby port. Its rustic look, with the cheese wrapped in a white cloth, is part of its identity.

It is a soft cheese with a buttery texture and few or no holes in the paste. Its curdling with vegetable rennet from the cardoon thistle (Cynara cardunculus) is one of the features that set it apart and that remains part of production today. With an average weight of about 300 grams and a cylindrical shape, it is a small product that is easy to share.