Da Morgada - Serra da Estrela DOP (Portugal, price shown is per ounce)

Da Morgada | Serra da Estrela DOP | Raw Sheep's Milk Cheese | Serra da Estrela, Portugal

Serra da Estrela is Portugal's most celebrated and iconic cheese — a raw sheep's milk cheese with a history dating back to the 12th century, produced in the high mountain region of Serra da Estrela in central Portugal. Recognized with DOP (Denominação de Origem Protegida) status, it is one of the great artisan cheeses of Europe and a source of immense national pride in Portugal.

What makes Serra da Estrela truly unique is its coagulation method: rather than using animal rennet, the milk is curdled using the dried pistils of the wild cardoon thistle (Cynara cardunculus), hand-harvested from the mountain slopes. This ancient, plant-based technique imparts a distinctive bittersweet, slightly herbaceous complexity to the cheese that cannot be replicated by any other method.

Da Morgada produces Serra da Estrela in two beloved styles. The younger, buttery style is soft, unctuous, and intensely creamy — it oozes luxuriously once the rind is cut open, best eaten with a spoon. The more mature, curado (cured) style is firmer, more pungent, and deeply complex, with a concentrated, savory intensity that develops with age.

Serve the soft style at room temperature, cut the top rind and scoop with crusty bread or crackers. Pair with Portuguese Vinho Verde, dry Alentejo whites, or a light red. The cured style pairs beautifully with full-bodied reds, aged ports, and honey or quince paste.

• Producer: Da Morgada
• Cheese: Serra da Estrela DOP
• Milk: Raw sheep's milk
• Coagulant: Wild cardoon thistle rennet (plant-based)
• Origin: Serra da Estrela, Portugal
• Styles: Buttery (soft & oozing) or Curado (firm & aged)
• Pricing: Price shown is per ounce