Cheese Database

Queijo de Azeitão vs Serra da Estrela

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.

Serra da Estrela

Facts

Milk
Sheep
Texture
Soft
Type
Pressed
Rind
Natural rind
Country
Portugal
Place
Serra da Estrela

Serra da Estrela is a sheep's milk cheese from the Serra da Estrela mountains in Portugal. Shepherds and small dairies set the milk with a thistle flower, not with animal rennet, and that choice shapes both the texture and the taste. A ripe wheel can turn so soft that people spoon the center. A wheel kept longer becomes firmer and better for grating. The mountain range and the name on the cheese are the same place.