Description: Queijo Rabaçal PDO is a cured cheese, of semi-hard to hard consistency, with few to none small irregular holes spread over the mass, dull white in colour, artisanaly produced from a mixture of ewe and goat milks, through the action of an animal rennet.
Production method: The hand-milked milks are transported to the dairy, where they are filtered through a cloth to the container where they are mixed and coagulated using a rennet of animal origin. After clotting (which lasts 45 minutes to 1 hour), the curd is removed by hand to a colander, and then deposited inside a mold. When the serum is completely exhausted, the cheese is lightly hand-pressed and salted. 2 to 4 days later the straps are removed and the cheeses are placed on shelves to mature. During maturation the cheeses are washed 3 times per week scraped with a piece of tile, a knife or even a fig leaf, cleaned with a cotton or linen cloth and placed again in the healing site. The maturation can be no shorter than 20 days.
Special features: Many of the distinctive features of this cheese are due to the spontaneous and very profuse in the region thyme called “Santa Maria”, on which the ewes and goats that provide the milk for this cheese feed.
Production area: Occupying over 850 km2, the area of production of Queijo Rabaçal PDO is located between the districts of Coimbra (municipality of Penela, part of the municipalities of Condeixa-a-Nova and Soure) and Leiria (municipality of Ansião, part of the municipalities of Alvaiázere and Pombal).
History: Queijo Rabaçal PDO is of ancestral origin. Its name comes from the village of Rabaçal, already referenced in written documents dating back to 1139. Its quality and reputation are mentioned by many authors, such as Queirós of Eca in his book "A Cidade e as Serras" ("each one of these round cheeses, such as Camembert or Rabaçal, could cost you, thee the Jacinto cheesemaker, two hundred fifty to three hundred thousand reis").
Product specification (pdf)
Producer group
COPRORABAÇAL - Cooperativa de Produtores do Queijo do Rabaçal, C.R.L
Control and certification body
CODIMACO - Certificação e Qualidade Lda
Control plan
Control plan (pdf)
Publication in EU official journal
Regulamento (CE) n.º 1107/96 da Comissão – L148 21.06.1996
Publication in the Portuguese official journal
Despacho n.º 12/1994 – 26.01.1994
Aviso n.º 14787/2009 – 20.08.2009
Aviso (extrato) n.º 271/2015 - 09.01.2015