cheese
Queijo de Azeitão
By João FerreiraLisboa
A small, creamy sheep's milk cheese from the Setúbal Peninsula, curdled with thistle flower.
Queijo de Azeitão is a soft, buttery cheese produced in the Setúbal Peninsula south of Lisbon. Like Serra da Estrela, it is made from raw sheep's milk coagulated with cardoon thistle. The cheeses are small, about 100 grams, with a washed rind and spoonable interior when perfectly ripe.
The cheese originated in the 19th century when a shepherd from the Serra da Estrela settled in Azeitão. It holds PDO status. Paired with crusty bread and Moscatel de Setúbal, Queijo de Azeitão is one of Portugal's great gastronomic pleasures.
