Division 3.2 Description of product to which the name in (1) applies
United Kingdom
Cheese obtained by slow draining of the curds, following coagulation of unadulterated raw ewe’s milk obtained from Bordaleira Serra da Estrela and/or Churra Mondegueira ewes, using the cardoon flower (Cynara cardunculus, L) as rennet. The minimum ripening time for ‘Queijo Serra da Estrela’ cheese is 30 days. When the ripening time reaches a minimum of 120 days, the designation of origin ‘Queijo Serra da Estrela’ is qualified as ‘Velho’ (mature).
The main characteristics of the product are as follows:
| ‘Queijo Serra da Estrela’ | ‘Queijo Serra da Estrela’‘Velho’ (mature) | |
|---|---|---|
| Shape and consistency | Short (flat) regular cylinder with bulging sides and some bulging on the top and no defined edge | Short (flat) regular cylinder, slight or no bulging on the sides and no spine |
| Rind | Smooth and semi-soft | Smooth to slightly wrinkled and hard to extra hard. |
| Weight | Between 0.5 and 1.7 kg | 0.7 to 1.2 kg |
| Diameter | 9 to 20 cm | 11 to 20 cm |
| Height | 4 to 6 cm | 3 to 6 cm |
| Texture | Closed, slightly buttery, loses its shape on cutting, well bound, creamy and smooth, with few or no eyes | Closed or with some eyes, slightly dry crumbly body, smooth |
| Colour | White or slightly sallow | Yellowish to orange/light brown, becoming darker from the outside towards the centre |
| Sensory characteristics | Smooth, clean and slightly acidic bouquet | Pleasant, lingering, clean, strong to slightly strong and slightly spicy/salty bouquet |
| Protein | 26 to 33 % | 36 to 43 % |
| Fats | 45 to 60 % | > 60 % |
| Humidity | 61 to 69 % | 49 to 56 % |
| Ash | 5 to 6.5 % | 7 to 8 % |
Notes on Division SINGLE DOCUMENT
Footnotes
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Replaced by Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 November 2012 on quality schemes for agricultural products and foodstuffs.