São Jorge cheese is made from cow’s milk, pressed paste and lactic coagulation, with a yellow rind and paste that matures from mild to hard and piquant. It is produced only on São Jorge island and has held DOP certification since 1996.
Pasture and milk
Cattle graze green slopes fed by Atlantic flora. See cattle & pastures and pastoral life. Cooperatives and local dairies age cheeses from about three or four months to over two years.
Taste and table
Expect buttery, spicy and mineral notes that intensify with age. It pairs with island wines, corn bread and fruit — the island’s gastronomic ambassador worldwide.
Where to taste
Shops in Velas and Calheta, dairies and fairs (see events) offer tastings. Prefer DOP-labelled wheels with a clear ageing indication.