You don\u2019t need to travel too far to try a selection of Portuguese cheeses, as most of them are available in local restaurants or supermarkets.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
If this is uncharted territory to you, don\u2019t worry\u2014we put together a list of the best cheeses to try in Portugal, including tips on how to eat them.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n When speaking of Portuguese cheese, Queijo Serra da Estrela always comes out on top. Produced in the region of Serra da Estrela, this cheese is famous for its creamy texture and intense smell. If you\u2019ve tried the past\u00e9is de bacalhau<\/em> from Casa Portuguesa do Pastel de Bacalhau<\/a> in Lisbon, you\u2019ve already had a sample of it as it\u2019s in the filling. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Traditional Serra da Estrela uses sheep\u2019s milk, but you can find other versions that have goat\u2019s milk too. Locals like to pair it with a bit of quince paste (marmelada)<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n How to eat it: <\/strong>Cut a circular hole out of the top of the rind and use a spoon to spread this delicious cheese on crackers or fresh bread. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Queijo de Cabra Transmontano isn\u2019t your typical goat\u2019s cheese. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n While it uses goat\u2019s milk, this cheese is hard and slightly spicy. The longer it ages, the spicier it gets! The name transmontano<\/em> comes from the region where it\u2019s made: Tr\u00e1s-os-Montes, which is in the north of Portugal. To make this artisanal cheese official, locals can only use milk from the Serrana Negra, a regional goat\u2019s breed.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n How to eat it:<\/strong> You can cut it into thin slices to eat with bread or pair it with a mixed berry jam.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Hailing from Raba\u00e7al, a small village near Coimbra, this cheese combines sheep and goat\u2019s milk. The flavor of Raba\u00e7al is subtle, similar to a fresh goat\u2019s cheese. Cured for at least 20 days the texture can vary from semi-hard to hard. In some places, you can also find it as a fresh cheese<\/a>, produced before the ripening process.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n How to eat it: <\/strong>You can eat it as a starter with a bit of bread or for dessert drizzled with some honey.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Similar to Serra da Estrela, Queijo de Azeit\u00e3o is also creamy, but milder in flavor. The cheese comes from Azeit\u00e3o, a little town located 40 minutes away from Lisbon. It uses sheep\u2019s milk and thistle flowers, which replace the animal rennet<\/a> usually used in the cheese making process. We suggest visiting the Museu do Queijo de Azeit\u00e3o<\/a> to taste this cheese straight from the source!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n How to eat it:<\/strong> Like Serra da Estrela, cut a hole in the top of the cheese, then scoop it out with a spoon.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Queijo de Nisa is a semi-hard type of cheese, produced in Alentejo. It\u2019s made from sheep\u2019s milk and vegetable rennet, making it a good option for vegetarians as well. As for the flavor, it\u2019s soft and has a mildly acidic taste.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n How to eat it:<\/strong> Cut it in slices and eat it as a petisco<\/a><\/em> paired with a glass of Alentejo wine.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Here’s another cheese variety from Alentejo, made in \u00c9vora, the capital of the region. Aged for a minimum of 60 days, it has a hard texture and a salty flavor. The older wheels (queijo velho<\/em>) often have a bit of a spicy kick. You can also find Queijo de \u00c9vora preserved in olive oil, known by locals as Queijinhos do Alentejo<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n How to eat it: <\/strong>Queijo de \u00c9vora usually comes as a starter in most Portuguese restaurants. Slice the cheese and eat it with some bread or just by itself. <\/strong>It\u2019s okay to eat the rind!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Queijo de Serpa is an award-winning cheese also from Alentejo. Made with raw sheep\u2019s milk, it can age from four months to two years. The rind usually has an orange color which comes from regularly brushing the cheese with olive oil and paprika during the ageing process. It\u2019s the paprika that also gives its spicy aroma. Depending on age, the cheese can range from creamy (amanteigado<\/em>) to hard (duro<\/em>).<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n How to eat it: <\/strong>If it\u2019s creamy, you can spread it as a paste; if not, cut it into slices and serve it with some Alentejo bread.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Requeij\u00e3o is a light Portuguese cheese, similar to ricotta or cottage cheese. You\u2019ll find it in most supermarkets sold in plastic containers. It\u2019s typically made from cow\u2019s milk and has a much more subtle flavor than the other cheeses on this list. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n How to eat it: <\/strong>You can <\/strong>serve it with salad sprinkled with salt and pepper, but it\u2019s traditionally eaten as a dessert paired with pumpkin jam and a glass of Port wine.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n If you like cheeses with a spicy kick, Queijo de S\u00e3o Jorge is the perfect choice for you. Also known as Queijo da Ilha<\/em> (island cheese), it comes from the island of S\u00e3o Jorge in the Azores. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Unlike most cheeses from the mainland, this cheese is made exclusively with cow\u2019s milk. It has a semi-hard texture and a strong nutty aroma, which grows stronger with age. When buying it from a shop, you can get it whole, cut in wedges or shredded (ralado)<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n How to eat it: <\/strong>Eat a slice with fresh bread or shred it over pasta for extra flavor.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Queijo do Pico also comes from the Azores but from a different island\u2014Ilha do Pico. It traditionally uses cow\u2019s milk as the main ingredient, although some might have goat\u2019s milk as well. Queijo do Pico is softer than S\u00e3o Jorge\u2019s and has a similar texture to Gouda. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n How to eat it: <\/strong>You can eat it as a starter or for dessert accompanied by Vinho do Pico.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The best way to sample these artisanal cheeses is to order a cheese board at a restaurant, aka a T\u00e1bua de Queijos<\/em>. It\u2019s the perfect introduction to Portuguese cheese, as you\u2019ll get to try a variety of cheeses at once. You can also order a mixed board (T\u00e1bua Mista<\/em>), which comes with both cheese and traditional Portuguese sausages<\/a>. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n![\"Eating](\"https:\/\/assets.devourtours.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/portuguese-cheese-1.png\")
<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n1. Queijo Serra da Estrela<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
![\"Wondering](\"https:\/\/devourlisbonfoodtours.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/what-time-do-people-eat-in-portugal-lanche-past\u00e9is-de-bacalhau.jpg\")
2. Queijo de Cabra Transmontano<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
![\"When](\"https:\/\/assets.devourtours.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/portuguese-cheese-Queijo-de-Cabra-Transmontano-WMC-1.jpg\")
3. Queijo do Raba\u00e7al<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
![\"Portuguese](\"https:\/\/assets.devourtours.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/portuguese-cheese-Queijo-do-RabacCCA7al-WMC.jpg\")
4. Queijo de Azeit\u00e3o<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
5. Queijo de Nisa<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
![\"Portuguese](\"https:\/\/assets.devourtours.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/portuguese-cheese-wine-1.jpg\")
6. Queijo de \u00c9vora<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
7. Queijo de Serpa<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
8. Requeij\u00e3o<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
![\"Requeij\u00e3o](\"https:\/\/assets.devourtours.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/portuguese-cheese-requeijaCC83o.jpg\")
9. Queijo de S\u00e3o Jorge<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
10. Queijo do Pico<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Portuguese Cheese Board 101<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
![\"We'll](\"https:\/\/assets.devourtours.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/portuguese-cheese-board-2.jpg\")