Description
The Queijo S. Jorge PDO is a hard cheese made with whole cows' milk, 45% fat and between 49% and 63% humidity.
Production Area
Queijo S. Jorge PDO cheese is made on the island of São Jorge in the Azores.
Production Method
The milk is coagulated with the use of rennet and whey collected from preceding cheese making processes, the whey is then extracted and the cheese is salted with refined salt. Before placing the curd in the large moulds a label is placed in them bearing consecutive numbers and a production code, which makes it possible to determine its age, the maker and other information required to check the quality of the final product. Once the curd has been placed in the moulds the curd is pressed and left to rest first at room temperature (for about a month) and then in a climate controlled room at a temperature of between 12°C and 14°C, for a period of 90 days.
Appearance and Flavour
Queijo S. Jorge PDO cheese is cylindrical in shape with a diameter of 25 cm to 35 cm with a thickness of between 10 cm and 15 cm and weighing from 8 kg to 12 kg. The rind is hard, smooth and well formed. It is dark yellow, sometimes with reddish brown markings. The interior of the cheese has a yellow colour with irregular and pronounced air bubbles, with a fine semi-hard consistency. It is strongly flavoured, clean tasting and very slightly spicy.
History
The origins of Queijo S. Jorge PDO are closely related to the history of cheese making on the island of São Jorge which apparently started at the same time that it was colonised. At the time what was said to improve the production was the presence on the island of a large community of flamengos (fleming). These early colonisers had found here on the high parts of the island a similar climate to their homeland where renowned cheese makers had already been long established. Cheese making went on to grow thanks also to the contribution of the Cunha da Silveira family, great property owners and cheese makers who introduced some new technology including some from other countries. In 1991 a not-for-profit organisation was established called Confraria do Queijo de São Jorge for the protection, promotion and guaranteeing of the quality of the island's cheeses.
Gastronomy
Queijo S. Jorge PDO cheese must be stored at a temperature of between 0°C and 10°C. It can be enjoyed in many ways. Either sliced or grated or used in elaborate recipes or added to potato purée and croquettes. It is delicious eaten as a fondue. It is ideal with a slice of fresh, crusty bread and a glass of good red wine, or, even better, with a glass of vintage Port.
Marketing
This cheese is sold as Queijo S. Jorge PDO. It is sold whole or in prepacked portions in cling film, clearly labelled, bearing a seal of guarantee and its PDO certification.
Distinctive Features
The distinctive features of Queijo S. Jorge PDO cheese is owed both to the method in which it is made which has remained unchanged for 500 years, to the climate and the natural vegetation on the pastures of the island on which the animals feed, which produces very high quality milk. The typical wheel shape, its size (occasionally it used to need several people to move it) and its semihard to hard consistency seem to have remained unchanged for 200 years.
