Queso de La Serena

Rate it

Queso de La Serena is a sheep milk cheese from the La Serena district of Extremadura, Spain, curdled with a coagulant from cardoon pistils. Young, with a creamy centre, it is called Torta de La Serena and eaten with a spoon; aged longer it firms up and tastes stronger.

Key Facts

Country of Origin	Spain
Specific Origin	Province of Badajoz (21 municipalities in La Serena)
Protection	PDO (1996)
Milk Type	Sheep
Milk Treatment	Unpasteurized
Fat Content	At least 50% in dry matter
Rind	Waxy, yellow to ochre
Texture	Soft to semi-hard
Flavor	Slightly bitter, pleasant
Aroma	Spicy notes
Colors	Yellow to ochre
Forms	Wheel-shaped, 250 g to 3 kg, minimum diameter 8 cm
Age	60+ days
Rennet Type	Vegetable (Cynara cardunculus)
Also Known As	La Serena, Torta de La Serena

What is Queso de La Serena?

Queso de La Serena comes from the comarca of La Serena, in Extremadura, Spain. It is made from the milk of Merino sheep raised in that region, and the PDO rules allow nothing but natural whole milk from healthy animals, with no colostrum or preservatives.

The milk is curdled with a coagulant found in the pistils of cardoon, Cynara cardunculus. Only a small amount goes in, which keeps the cheese mild. It then ages for at least sixty days.

Wheels run from 250 grams to 3 kilograms. The height is 40 to 70 percent of the diameter, and the diameter is never less than 8 cm. The taste is slightly salty, with a light bitterness that comes from the cardoon.

While the centre is still creamy the cheese is sold as Torta de La Serena, and the traditional way to eat it is to slice off the top and scoop out the inside with a spoon. Left to mature further it hardens and the flavour strengthens, and at that point it is called Queso de La Serena.

Two neighbours are often confused with it. Torta del Casar, also from Extremadura, uses milk from mixed breeds and more coagulant. Queijo Serra da Estrela, from Portugal, is also pure Merino sheep milk but uses more coagulant still, so it tastes stronger and more bitter.