Queijo do Pico

Last updated
Cheese of Pico
Queijo do Pico.jpg
Other namesQueijo do Pico
Country of originFlag of Portugal.svg  Portugal
RegionFlag of the Azores.svg  Azores
Town Lajes do Pico, Madalena, São Roque do Pico
Source of milkCows
PasteurisedNo
TextureSoft
Fat content45-49
Aging time20-30 days
Certification PDO October 1996
Commons-logo.svg Related media on Commons

Cheese of Pico (Portuguese : Queijo do Pico) is a cheese originating from the island of Pico in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. It has been classified as a "Denomination of Protected Origin", in accordance with the laws of the European Union since October 1996. [1] [2]

Contents

History

Fabrica de Queijo de Rafael Simas, in Santo Amaro, municipality of Sao Roque do Pico around 1947 Fabrica de queijo na Ilha do Pico.jpg
Fábrica de Queijo de Rafael Simas, in Santo Amaro, municipality of São Roque do Pico around 1947

It is unknown when Queijo do Pico was first made, but there are references to its fabrication dating as far back as the end of the 18th century; the manner of its preparation has been handed down to descendants since it was first cured.

Characteristics

This cured cheese is produced from cow milk, from a slow coagulation process that takes 20 to 30 days. The cheese is produced in cylinders, in sizes ranging from 16 centimetres (6.3 in) to 17 cm (6.7 in) in diameter and heights of 2 cm (0.79 in) to 3 cm (1.2 in), while weights average 650 grams (1.43 lb) to 800 g (1.8 lb). Its fat content ranges from between 45% and 49%, and it is considered a fatty cheese. The ripening of the cheese forms a yellow exterior irregular crust and yellowish-white, soft and pasty interior. Pico cheese has a salty taste and a characteristically intense aroma.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Azores</span> Portuguese archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean

The Azores, officially the Autonomous Region of the Azores, is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal. It is an archipelago composed of nine volcanic islands in the Macaronesia region of the North Atlantic Ocean, about 1,400 km (870 mi) west of Lisbon, about 1,500 km (930 mi) northwest of Morocco, and about 1,930 km (1,200 mi) southeast of Newfoundland, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manchego</span> Firm sheep milk cheese from Spain

Manchego is a cheese made in the La Mancha region of Spain from the milk of sheep of the Manchega breed. It is aged between 60 days and 2 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cabrales cheese</span> Spanish cheese

Cabrales is a blue cheese made in the artisan tradition by rural dairy farmers in Asturias, Spain. This cheese can be made from pure, unpasteurized cow’s milk or blended in the traditional manner with goat and/or sheep milk, which lends the cheese a stronger, spicier flavor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pico Island</span> Portuguese island in Azores archipelago

Pico Island is an island in the Central Group of the Portuguese Azores. The landscape features an eponymous volcano, Ponta do Pico, which is the highest mountain in Portugal, the Azores, and the highest elevation of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. In the tradition of the Portuguese poet, Raul Brandão, Pico is referred to as the Ilha Preta, for its black volcanic soils, which nourish its UNESCO-designated vineyards that once allowed the development of the island's economy. Pico is the second largest and, geologically speaking, the most recently formed island of the Azores, being around 300,000 years old.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goat cheese</span> Cheese made from the milk of goats

Goat cheese, goat's cheese, or chèvre, is cheese made from goat's milk. Goats were among the first animals to be domesticated for producing food. Goat cheese is made around the world with a variety of recipes, giving many different styles of cheese, from fresh and soft to aged and hard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Serra da Estrela</span> Mountain range in north-central Portugal

Serra da Estrela is the highest mountain range in Continental Portugal. Together with the Serra da Lousã it is the westernmost constituent range of the Sistema Central and also one of the highest in the system. It includes mainland Portugal's highest point at 1,993 metres above mean sea level. This point is not a distinctive mountain summit, but rather the highest point in a plateau, being known as Torre. Torre is an unusual summit in that it is accessible by a paved road. The peak has a topographic prominence of 1,204 m (3,950 ft) and its parent peak is Pico Almanzor, in Spain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portuguese cuisine</span> Culinary tradition of Portugal

The oldest known book on Portuguese cuisine, entitled Livro de Cozinha da Infanta D. Maria de Portugal, from the 16th century, describes many popular dishes of meat, fish, poultry and others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">São Jorge Island</span> Island of the Azores, Portugal

São Jorge is an island in the central group of the Azores archipelago and part of the autonomous region of Portugal. Separated from its nearest neighbours by the 15-kilometre (9.3 mi) Pico-São Jorge Channel, the central group is often referred colloquially as part of the Triângulo ("Triangle") group or just "The Triangle". São Jorge is a relatively long thin island with tall cliffs, whose 8,381 inhabitants are concentrated on various geological debris fields (fajãs) along the north and south coasts; from east to west, the island is 53 kilometres (33 mi) long and, north to south, 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) wide: its area is 237.59 square kilometres (91.73 sq mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queso blanco</span> Any of a variety of white cheeses produced in Latin America

Queso blanco, literally white cheese in Spanish, can refer to many different kinds of cheeses whose only common trait is their white color. The specific cheese referred to depends on the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Castelo Branco cheese</span> Portuguese goat or sheep cheese

Castelo Branco is a cheese named after the city of the same name in Portugal, the main city of the district where it is produced.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Pico</span> Volcano in the Azores, Portugal

Mount Pico is a currently quiescent stratovolcano located on Pico Island, in the mid-Atlantic archipelago of the Azores. It is the highest mountain in Portugal, at 2,351 metres (7,713 ft) above sea level, and is one of the highest Atlantic mountains; it is more than twice the elevation of any other peak in the Azores. It has been a designated nature reserve since 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Serra da Estrela cheese</span> Portuguese cheese

Serra da Estrela cheese is a cheese made in the mountainous region of Serra da Estrela in Portugal. Under the name "Queijo Serra da Estrela" it is a Protected designation of origin (PDO) in the European Union as well as the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">São Jorge cheese</span> Portuguese cheese

São Jorge Cheese is a semi-hard to hard cheese, produced on the island of São Jorge, in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores, certified as a Região Demarcada do Queijo de São Jorge and regulated as a registered Denominação de Origem Protegida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queijo de Nisa</span> Portuguese cheese

Queijo de Nisa is a semi-hard sheep's milk cheese from the municipality of Nisa, in the subregion of Alto Alentejo in Portugal. It is created from raw milk, which is coagulated, then curdled using an infusion of thistle. It is yellowish white, with a robust flavor and a somewhat acidic finish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toledo (Velas)</span> Locality in Azores, Portugal

Toledo is an unincorporated human settlement in the civil parish of Santo Amaro, in the municipality of Velas in Portuguese island of São Jorge Island in the Azores.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Açores VR</span>

The Açores VR is a Portuguese wine region located in the archipelago of the Azores. This region is classified as a Vinho Regional (VR), which corresponds to table wines with a geographical indication under European Union wine regulations, similar to a French vin de pays region.

The Protected Areas of the Azores are the basic administrative-territorial and conservation structures in the archipelago of the Azores and the surrounding oceans. The areas integrate the entirety of the Azores within its Exclusive Economic Zone, as well as the surrounding waters, under the international agreements and conventions. The network realizes the categorization of management for protected areas adopted by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), adapting it to the specific geographical, environmental, cultural and political-administrative territory of the archipelago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queijo de Azeitão</span> Portuguese cheese

Queijo de Azeitão is a Portuguese cheese originating from the town of Azeitão, in the municipality of Setúbal. It is produced in Setúbal, Palmela and Sesimbra.

References

Notes
  1. "Queijo do Pico" (in Portuguese). Ponta Delgada (Azores), Portugal. 2004–2012. Archived from the original on 13 May 2008. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  2. Queijo do Pico in the DOOR database of the European Union. Retrieved 2014-03-14.
Sources