(Azeitão cheese)
Azeitão is a semi-soft cheese made from unpasteurized sheep milk. The origins of this cheese date back to the 19th century, when Gaspar Henriques de Paiva emigrated to the town of Azeitão. Out of nostalgia for his place of birth, he imported black dairy sheep from his home town to Azeitão and brought cheesemakers from Beira Baixa to make cheeses.
De Paiva's Azeitão cheeses quickly became famous throughout Portugal, winning several awards at agricultural fairs. The milk for this cheese is taken from sheep that graze on natural vegetation in the pastures of Azeitão. The sheep are milked manually, and the milk is mixed with the extract of a local variety of thistle to start the curdling process instead of animal rennet, meaning the cheese is 100% vegetarian.
Salt is added to the curd, which is then manually worked and wrapped into muslin cloth bundles, called cinchos. The finished cheese is round and flat with a yellowish crust concealing a light-colored interior with a semi-solid consistency.
The flavor is both sour and salty with herby undertones. This runny cheese is best served scooped onto a slice of fresh bread, and also makes a delicious dessert when paired with fruit and a semi-dry white wine.
