🧀 Queijo do Pico
Also known as: Pico cheese
Queijo do Pico is a Portuguese PDO cheese from Pico island in the Azores, made from raw cow milk, with a soft whitish-yellow paste and a minimum ripening time of 20 days.
Queijo do Pico is a cured Portuguese cheese with a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), entered in the EU register in 1998 by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1265/98. According to the specification it is made from raw cow milk, animal rennet and salt, by slowly draining the curd.
Milk and making. The milk comes only from dairy farms on the island of Pico; the DGADR description says the cows are reared extensively on pasture. The raw milk is curdled with animal rennet at 26–27 °C for 45–60 minutes. The curd is cut into small cubes, drained, moulded and pressed by hand and salted on both faces. The minimum ripening time is 20 days.
Look and taste. A low, rounded cylinder 16–17 cm across and 2–3 cm high, weighing 650–800 g, with a yellow rind. The paste is whitish-yellow, soft and pasty, very unctuous, with irregular holes. The aroma is characteristic, intense and pleasant; the taste is lively and salty. It is a full-fat cheese (fat 45–49%, moisture 67–71%).
Queijo do Pico or Cotija? Search results pair them, but they are different cheeses from different countries. Queijo do Pico is a Portuguese PDO cheese from the island of Pico in the Azores, made from raw cow milk and animal rennet, a low round cylinder with a soft, pasty, very unctuous paste, a lively salty taste and a minimum ripening time of 20 days. It is a full-fat cheese, sold whole, with the milk coming only from Pico farms.
Look for “Queijo do Pico” with “Denominação de Origem”, the EU PDO symbol (protected designation of origin) and “com leite cru”; in Portuguese the abbreviation is DOP. The label also shows the fat class and the number of the certification mark. The cheese is a low, rounded cylinder with a yellow rind, sold whole, never in portions to the consumer. It is stocked at cheesemongers and supermarket cheese counters.
Area and labelling. Milk production and cheesemaking are limited to the island of Pico. The label must show the name with “Denominação de Origem”, the fat class, “com leite cru” (with raw milk) and the number of the certification mark. The cheese is sold whole; sale in portions to the consumer is not allowed.
Facts
| Raw material | Raw cow milk |
|---|---|
| Country | Portugal |
| Region | Pico island, Azores |
| Taste | Salty and lively, with an intense, pleasant aroma |
| Duration | At least 20 days |
| Legal basis | EU PDO, Regulation (EC) No 1265/98 (1998), PDO-PT-0035 2 |
How it connects to Cheese
🧀 Queijo do Pico → kind of → 🏷️ Protected cheese names → kind of → 🧀 Cheese
Links
- Made from which milk
- 🥛 Cow's milk
- Part of
- 🧈 Soft cheeses without mould, 🏷️ Protected cheese names, 🇵🇹 Portuguese cheeses
Frequently asked questions
Queijo do Pico vs Cotija: is it the same cheese?
No. They are different cheeses with different names. Queijo do Pico is the Portuguese PDO cheese of the Azores, made from raw cow milk on the island of Pico.
Can I buy Queijo do Pico by the slice?
The cheese is sold whole; sale in portions to the consumer is not allowed.
Is it true that Queijo do Pico is a hard, dry cheese?
No. The paste is whitish-yellow, soft and pasty, very unctuous, with irregular holes; the taste is lively and salty.
What does the label of Queijo do Pico say?
The name with “Denominação de Origem”, the fat class, “com leite cru” (with raw milk) and the number of the certification mark.
What is Queijo do Pico curdled with?
With animal rennet, added to raw cow milk, after which the curd is cut into small cubes, drained, moulded and pressed by hand.
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ℹ️ Dairy products contain lactose and milk proteins: if you are lactose intolerant or allergic to milk protein, ask a doctor.