Division 5.1 Specificity of the geographical area

The entire region is located on the Beira uplands, with agro-climactic conditions characterised by long, cold and rainy winters with occasional snow and hot, dry summers.

On top of the tree cover mentioned previously, this region contains stretches of shrubs and herbs which make up the diet of the grazing animals. The herbs are mainly composed of brushwood [ericas, ulex (gorse bushes), cytisus (jennets) and genistas (wild jennets or genistas purgans)]. The natural pasture is made up of wild perennial grasses and the cultivated pasture is mainly composed of white clover and subterranean clover. As for the flowers, acidophilus species prevail and are mainly composed of grasses and leguminous plants which can withstand the cold, acidity and low soil fertility. The fodder crops most regularly used are essentially as follows: oats, rye, corn, fodder sorghum and marsh grass or yearly ray-grass.

The region is home to two breeds used exclusively for producing this cheese: the ‘Bordaleira Serra da Estrela’ and the ‘Churra Mondegueira’. For centuries, animals have fully taken advantage of the rough pasture in this region.