Queijo de Azeitão

Queijo de Azeitão is made from raw sheep's milk in a small area of the Arrábida foothills, and its defining feature is the coagulant: not animal rennet but an infusion of the dried flower of the cardoon thistle, Cynara cardunculus, which sets the milk differently and produces the soft, slightly bitter, intensely sheepy paste that this family of Portuguese cheeses is known for. It is made in small discs of about a hundred to two hundred and fifty grams, bound in a cloth strip, and cured for at least twenty days, by which time the interior has broken down to a texture between thick cream and set custard while the rind stays firm. It is eaten by slicing the top off like a lid and spooning the inside out. It has protected designation status and is made in a handful of dairies, several of which sell direct. Serra da Estrela and Serpa are its close relatives.

What you actually see

• The thistle coagulant - cardoon flower instead of rennet, which shapes the texture.
• The cut lid - the top sliced off and the inside spooned out.
• The size - small bound discs of a hundred to two hundred and fifty grams.
• The protected designation - a defined area in the Arrábida foothills.

When to go

Year-round, though winter and spring milk make the best cheeses. Dairies in Azeitão sell direct; the Setúbal and Lisbon markets stock it.

Honest expectations

Made from raw milk, which matters for pregnant travellers and anyone advised to avoid unpasteurised cheese. Strongly flavoured and pungent - not a mild cheese. It does not travel well unrefrigerated. Industrial imitations using rennet are sold and are not the same thing.

Nearby

The moscatel cellars are in the same village; the Arrábida park is south.