Queijo de Nisa

This semi-hard cheese is made from ewes' milk taken from local Merino breed sheep in the region of Portalegre in eastern Portugal. The milk is curdled, salted, and formed into cheeses before being left to ripen for about two months in cold and humid conditions. Nisa cheese is semi-hard and yellowish-white in color, and its flavor is robust with a mildly acidic note.

It is best enjoyed with bread and wine, especially if the wine comes from Portalegre. This cheese is traditionally consumed as a snack during the day or as an ingredient in traditional dishes, such as quiche de legumes, a pie made with carrots, zucchini, and cheese. Nisa cheese, the production of which is confined to just a few dozen local family-run dairy farms, was listed as one of the 100 best cheeses in the world by Wine Spectator magazine in 2008.