Queijo

Portugal Cheeses

Here’s an interesting fact: I used to not eat cheese at all. None. It simply didn’t taste good to me. I didn’t drink milk either, or dairy products in general were never really part of my life, except for condensed milk once in a while, mostly because it used to be difficult to find in my mother country.

Then, somewhere around middle age, a midlife crisis quietly happened. Or maybe it didn’t. It passed so unnoticed that I still can’t say for sure. But one thing definitely changed: my taste. Suddenly, I discovered cheese. And fell in love with it.

Around that same time, though for entirely different reasons, I also fell in love with Portugal.

Portuguese cheese is not just food. It is a way of understanding the country itself. It tells stories of shepherds, isolated villages, mountain herbs, and ancient methods that survived for centuries. It can be sharp as the Atlantic wind, warm like olive oil under the sun, soft like an evening in a tiny tavern somewhere deep in the Portuguese countryside.

To taste it is to feel Portugal

In Portugal, cheese is more than food. It is part of the national soul, expressed through sheep’s milk (leite de ovelha), goat’s milk (leite de cabra), cow’s milk (leite de vaca), traditions, and the slow rhythm of life preserved in small villages. Almost every region has its own cheese, and each one tells a different story.

Much like Portuguese wine, cheese here reflects the terroir: the slopes of Serra da Estrela, the dry plains of Alentejo, the green volcanic landscapes of the Azores, and the salty Atlantic air of the coast. Many traditional Portuguese cheeses are still made by hand, often using a natural vegetable rennet from thistle flower (flor de cardo), which gives them their distinctive creamy texture and slightly herbal bitterness.

Queijo da Serra da Estrela

(sheep’s cheese/queijo de ovelha)

The legendary cheese from the Serra da Estrela mountains is probably the most famous cheese in Portugal. It is handmade from raw sheep’s milk and traditional thistle rennet. Young Serra cheese is soft, rich, and almost spoonable, with a slightly bitter finish and the aroma of mountain pastures. People spread it on bread or eat it by the spoonful, paired with wine.
It is also one of the oldest cheeses in Portugal, known since the 12th century.

Small spoiler: this is actually my favorite cheese. I have never really encountered anything like it anywhere else. When it’s sheep’s cheese, it’s usually closer to feta, — white, crumbly, slightly salty, quite straightforward. But this one is completely different!

It’s soft, almost melting, intensely aromatic. When you warm it up in the oven for just a few minutes before eating, something changes completely; the entire house fills with this deep, comforting smell of cheese slowly coming alive.

And suddenly everything feels ready: a bottle of wine already on the table, fresh bread still slightly warm, maybe some olives nearby. Nothing complicated. Just this quiet moment where everything makes sense.

Queijo de Azeitão

(sheep’s cheese/queijo de ovelha)

Often described as the younger brother of Serra da Estrela cheese, though no less interesting. Produced in the Setúbal region, it has a creamy texture and a slightly tangy flavor. It is served soft, with a moist rind, and pairs beautifully with fruit, rustic bread, and light white wines.

If you have the chance to try both cheeses, see if you can taste the difference. After all,… different mountains create different flavors.

Queijo da Soalheira

(sheep’s cheese / queijo de ovelha)

This cheese recently received the title of the world’s best cheese at the World Cheese Awards 2024. It is produced in the village of Soalheira, near the Serra da Gardunha mountains.

Handmade from fresh sheep’s milk and thistle flower, it is creamy, buttery, and deeply flavorful without feeling heavy.

Production is very small (only around 700 cheeses every 15 days) which makes it surprisingly difficult to find. Still, some specialty shops in Lisbon and Cascais occasionally carry it, and locals often buy it directly from producers.

Every May, the village hosts its annual cheese festival, Feira do Queijo, where visitors can taste it in its original setting.

Queijo de Nisa

(sheep’s cheese / queijo de ovelha)

From the Alentejo region, this cheese is firmer and denser than the creamy mountain varieties. It develops nutty notes and a deeper, more robust flavor that becomes richer with time, especially after several months of aging. Ideal for slicing, it’s perfect for simple snacks or sandwiches with olives and cured meats.

If you travel through the Portalegre area, you’ll likely come across it in local markets and village shops. This is also one of the cheeses you might spot at airport duty-free stores—easy to take home, and a delicious reminder of the region.

Queijo de São Jorge

(cow’s cheese / queijo de vaca)

Originally from the Azores, this cheese is known for its sharp, spicy flavor and firm texture. Many compare it to aged cheddar, though it has its own Atlantic character. It pairs especially well with strong red wines and Port wine.

Its history dates back to the 16th century, when the Azores became an important stop along Atlantic trade routes. Today, Queijo de São Jorge is produced in several stages of aging (Younger cheeses → sandwiches, mild white wine & Aged cheeses → red wine or Port, or enjoyed on their own in small portions), each offering a noticeably different texture and flavor:

• 3–4 months (young / fresco)
  Mild and slightly creamy, with an elastic texture and gentle dairy notes. Perfect for simple sandwiches.
  
  

• 4–7 months (standard aged)
  The most commonly available version. Balanced and approachable, with a firmer texture and a developing spice. Ideal for everyday cheese boards.
  
  

• 7–12 months (curado / aged)
  More intense, saltier, and aromatic. You may notice slight crystallization. This is the classic São Jorge profile—bold and pleasantly spicy.
  
  

• 12+ months (extra aged / rare)
  Dry, complex, and deeply savory, with a sharper finish. Best enjoyed in small pieces, often paired with strong red wine or Port.

Queijo de Évora

(sheep’s cheese / queijo de ovelha)

A small, dense cheese with a pleasantly salty flavor. It is a semi-hard to hard cheese, depending on how long it has been aged. Traditionally shaped into small wheels, it is sometimes grated into local dishes but is just as good eaten on its own with bread and olives.

This is one of the classic cheeses of Alentejo and is especially common at village markets and traditional food fairs.

Queijo Fresco and Requeijão

(fresh cheeses / queijo fresco, requeijão)

For those who prefer lighter and milder cheeses, Portugal has plenty of fresh options.

Queijo fresco is delicate, soft, and slightly similar to fresh farmer’s cheese or a mild feta. Requeijão is smoother and creamier, somewhere between ricotta and cream cheese, often eaten for breakfast with honey, pumpkin jam, or berries.

Both are usually made from cow’s milk or goat’s milk and can be found almost everywhere in Portugal — from supermarkets to tiny roadside cafés.

By the way, you can even try making fresh cheese yourself at home. All you really need is whole milk, half a rennet tablet, and a little salt. Traditionally, full-fat cow’s milk is the easiest option for beginners, though goat’s milk also works beautifully if you want a more distinct flavor.

Lighter Alternatives

Goat cheeses (queijo de cabra), especially aged ones (curado), are usually lower in fat than sheep’s cheeses. Semi-hard and fresh cheeses from northern Portugal and the coastal regions also tend to feel lighter and milder.

Queijo Fresco da Região Saloia

(fresh mixed-milk cheese — queijo fresco de vaca, ovelha e cabra)

A Portuguese friend of mine recently told me about another cheese that I somehow completely missed during my travels around the country — and now I really want to try it.

Not far from Lisbon, in the Saloia region — around Mafra, Sintra, and Loures — an old tradition of fresh farmhouse cheeses still survives. These cheeses are made from a mixture of cow’s, sheep’s, and goat’s milk, and that combination gives them a soft texture and a rustic flavor that is difficult to confuse with anything else.

They do not look “perfect” in the modern gourmet sense. Instead, they feel homemade and deeply authentic: rural kitchens, early mornings, fresh bread from the local bakery, noisy village markets, and the slow rhythm of life that still lingers in the small towns outside Lisbon.

One of the best-known local specialties is Queijo Fresco da Região Saloia — a handmade fresh cheese strongly connected to the identity of the region itself. It is mostly produced in the rural areas around Mafra, and many Portuguese people still come here, especially for fresh Pão de Mafra bread and freshly made cheese.

You can find these cheeses in tiny local shops, village markets, traditional restaurants, and places like Aldeia Típica José Franco — a small open-air village museum in Mafra where time seems to move a little slower. Around Sintra, they are often served with olives, wine, and warm rustic bread at family-run restaurants.

Queijo - queijo. Pão - pão.

The Portuguese love serving cheese:

• with rustic bread (pão caseiro)

• with fig jam (doce de figo)

• with nuts and wine (vinho tinto, vinho branco)

• with olives and sun-dried tomatoes (azeitonas, tomate seco)

Simple food. But somehow, in Portugal, it rarely feels simple.

Cheeses by region

• Monsanto and Tomar — local markets and small village shops often sell handmade sheep’s and goat cheeses.

• Algarve (Alvor, Lagos, Portimão) — goat cheeses are especially good here, sometimes carrying a slight salty note from the ocean air.

• Alentejo — famous for dense sheep’s cheeses with deep, rich flavor. A perfect place to look for Nisa and Évora cheeses.

• The Azores — home to some of Portugal’s best cow’s milk cheeses, especially São Jorge.

• The Saloia region (Mafra, Sintra, Loures) — known for traditional fresh mixed-milk cheeses made from cow’s, sheep’s, and goat’s milk. These soft rustic cheeses are often served with warm Pão de Mafra bread and can still be found in village markets and family-run restaurants.

And with that, I’ll finish this little story about the cheeses of Portugal. Maybe one day I’ll tell you which one became my favorite. Or maybe not, perhaps I’ll decide to keep that secret to myself.

But feel free to share your own favorite cheese.