Cheese Database

Castelo Branco cheese vs Queijo de Azeitão

Castelo Branco cheese

Facts

Milk
Sheep
Texture
Semi-hard
Type
Pressed
Rind
Natural rind
Country
Portugal
Place
Beira Baixa

Castelo Branco cheese is a sheep's milk cheese from Beira Baixa, in Portugal. It is one of the traditional cheeses of that inland region, made as a round with a yellowish paste. The body can be semi-soft or semi-hard, depending on how far the wheel has aged. A natural rind runs from straw color toward a deeper yellow or a light reddish tone. Cardoon, a vegetable rennet, sets the milk, which gives the cheese its soft tang.

Queijo de Azeitão

Facts

Milk
Sheep
Texture
Soft
Rind
Natural rind
Country
Portugal
Place
Azeitão, Setúbal

Queijo de Azeitão is a small sheep's milk cheese from Azeitão, in Setúbal, Portugal. It is made from raw milk and set with a coagulant from cardoon thistle, not with animal rennet. The wheels are short and flat, with a thin yellow rind and a pale, buttery paste. When ripe, the center can turn soft enough to spoon. The flavor is salty, tangy, and lightly sharp, with a clean sheep aroma.