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Queijo Serpa
About Queijo Serpa
Queijo Serpa is a traditional cheese made from ewe's milk. It is known for its buttery, semi-soft consistency and is produced in the Alentejo region of Portugal. The cheese is made using raw ewe's milk, which is coagulated with cardoon, a plant native to the area. This cheese has been produced artisanally for many years, benefiting from the unique pastures of the region. Queijo Serpa holds a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status, ensuring its authenticity and traditional production methods. The cheese is inspected by the Associação de Criadores de Ovinos do Sul. It is labeled under the Controlled Denomination of Origin.
Key Facts
| Country of Origin | Portugal |
| Specific Origin | Subdistricts of Mértola, Beja, Castro Verde, Almodovar, Cuba, Ourique, Moura, Serpa, Vidigueira, Aljustrel, Ferreira do Alentejo, Alvito, and specific parishes in Odemira, Santiago do Cacém, Grândola, and Alcácer do Sal. |
| Protection | PDO (1996) |
| Milk Type | Sheep |
| Milk Treatment | Heated to 95°F |
| Texture | Buttery, semi-soft consistency |
| Flavor | Almost fermented, sweet and bitter |
| Colors | Yellowish |
| Forms | Cylindrical, 4–12 inches diameter |
| Age | 30 to 45 days extra ripening |
| Rennet Type | Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus L.) |
What is Queijo Serpa?
Serpa is a traditional Portuguese cheese with a protected designation of origin (PDO). It is manufactured in a legally bounded area of Serpa and Beja counties, in Alentejo, the largest and driest province of inland Portugal. Serpa is one of the most genuinely crafted and high-quality cheeses from Portugal, although nowadays some cheese is also produced on a semi-industrial scale.
Origin
The origin of this unique cheese is lost in time, but it is believed to have started when shepherds moved to Alentejo from nearby regions, as part of a search for fresh pastures for their sheep flocks. Like Serra de Estrela cheese and other traditional Portuguese cheeses, Serpa cheese is obtained from raw ewe’s milk to which an aqueous extract of dried cardoon flowers (Cynara cardunculus L.) has been added as coagulant.
Production Process
In artisanal processing, fresh milk is heated to 95°F (35°C) and filtered through white wool blankets to remove any foreign materials. Then 32 ounces salt/13 gallons milk (approximately 900 grams salt/50 liters milk) and vegetal coagulant are added under gentle stirring. The resulting curd is stirred vigorously, with the help of a wooden stick, to produce a smooth grainy mass—that is pressed by hand, molded, and left to rest for some time before being placed in a maturation room. Cheeses are carefully unmolded on the following day, and turned every day for eight to ten days—besides washing with warm milk whey. A white cotton cloth is then placed around the cheese to avoid degradation of the rind and the delicate texture, and the cheese is transferred to a warmer and drier room for an extra thirty to forty-five days of ripening.
Characteristics
Serpa cheese possesses a pleasant semisoft texture, buttery, yellowish paste, and a distinctive flavor, almost fermented, with balanced sweet and bitter notes. The cheese is cylindrical, and may be marketed in four regular sizes, ranging from 4–12 inches (10–30 centimeters) in diameter. Their rich adventitious microflora is dominated by such genera as Leuconostoc and Lactococcus—known for their strongly proteolytic features.
Consumption
Serpa cheese may be enjoyed both as a dessert or as an appetizer, and may be served with red wines or Flemish beers and artisanal wheat bread.
