Queijo Serpa 
Queijo Serpa is a cured, semi-soft cheese from Serpa in the Alentejo region of Portugal, made with raw sheep milk set with cardoon extract. It holds PDO status and is listed on the Ark of Taste.
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 | Raw |
| 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.) |
| Also Known As | Queijo Serpa |
What is Queijo Serpa?
Serpa cheese, sold as Queijo Serpa PDO, comes from Serpa in Alentejo, Portugal. It holds a Protected designation of origin and is listed on the Ark of Taste.
The cheese is made with raw sheep milk. Instead of animal rennet, cheesemakers use extracts of cardoon (Cynara cardunculus L.) to set the curd. The traditional method adds no fermentation starter culture, and the milk is never pasteurized.
Parts of the process come from religious custom. The muslin used to filter the curd is folded exactly forty times.
The result is a cured cheese with a semi-soft body.
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