🧀 Queijo do Pico

Queijo do Pico is a cured Portuguese cheese with a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), entered in the EU register in 1998 by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1265/98. According to the specification it is made from raw cow milk, animal rennet and salt, by slowly draining the curd.

Milk and making. The milk comes only from dairy farms on the island of Pico; the DGADR description says the cows are reared extensively on pasture. The raw milk is curdled with animal rennet at 26–27 °C for 45–60 minutes. The curd is cut into small cubes, drained, moulded and pressed by hand and salted on both faces. The minimum ripening time is 20 days.

Look and taste. A low, rounded cylinder 16–17 cm across and 2–3 cm high, weighing 650–800 g, with a yellow rind. The paste is whitish-yellow, soft and pasty, very unctuous, with irregular holes. The aroma is characteristic, intense and pleasant; the taste is lively and salty. It is a full-fat cheese (fat 45–49%, moisture 67–71%).

Area and labelling. Milk production and cheesemaking are limited to the island of Pico. The label must show the name with “Denominação de Origem”, the fat class, “com leite cru” (with raw milk) and the number of the certification mark. The cheese is sold whole; sale in portions to the consumer is not allowed.