Description: The queijo São Jorge PDO cheese is made from raw cow’s milk. It’s a mature cheese with hard or semi-hard paste and yellowish shade.
Production method: The raw cow's milk is coagulated with natural rennet after the whey addiction (from preceding cheese making process to promote the acidification). The whey is later removed.
The mouls are filling having the particularity to put a label of casein in one of cheese sides and the maker’s code. This process makes it possible to determine its age, the maker and other information required to check the quality of the final product.
Then, the curd is pressed and letting rest during 30 days at natural temperature.
As last operation, occurs more 60 days of maturation process at controlled temperature of 12 to 14 ⁰C and relative humidity at 80 and 85%.
Distinctive features: The distinctive features of queijo São Jorge PDO cheese are by one hand, the edafo climate conditions, that promotes diverse cultures, that in turn influencing positively the milk quality. The other hand its production method practically unchanged by 500 years promotes, on more time, the singularity of the product.
In regard to its physical characteristics, this has a diameter of about 25 to 35 cm and a height of 10 to 15 cm. The taste and aroma are strong, clean and slightly spicy.
Production area: Queijo do Pico PDO cheese is made in the São Jorge island, in Azores.
History: It is reported that the start of production of the São Jorge PDO cheese is approximate to the discovery of the island (the mid-15th century).
Its manufacture was encouraged by the Flemish community, experienced producers of food products such as meat, milk and dairy products. They found on the island similar climate conditions of their origins, ideal for the production of distinct cheese.
This fact coupled with the patriotism of the people of São Jorge Island conserves the distinctive features of this cheese over the years.
Product specification (pdf)
Producer group
UNIQUEIJO- União das Cooperativas Agrícolas de Lacticínios de S. Jorge, UCRL
Control and certification body
Confraria do Queijo de São Jorge
Publication in EU official journal
Retificação ao Regulamento (CE) n.º 1107/96 da Comissão – L290 13.11.1996
Reg. (CE) n.º 1107/96 - L148 21.06.1996
Publication in the Portuguese official journal
Despacho SRAP/94/1 (2ª série) 14.01.1994
Aviso A/IAMA/95/4 (2ª série) 22.12.1994