Queijaria Vale da Estrela, based in Mangualde, was awarded the Gold Medal in the National Competition of Traditional Portuguese Fresh Cheese that CNEMA organized in conjunction with Qualifica/oriGIn Portugal, an event that had its 11th edition with the aim of rewarding, promoting, valuing and disseminating genuine traditional Portuguese fresh cheeses.
According to the jury, Vale da Estrela curd cheese “is deliciously tender, with a creamy, white, slightly grainy, soft paste that melts delicately in the mouth”.
Anabela Fraga, responsible for production, said in a statement that “the distinction awarded to the curd cheese “Vale da Estrela” is a source of pride for a team that is dedicated to the traditional production of a product of excellence such as the curd cheese Serra da Estrela PDO, produced exclusively with the whey of milk from Bordaleira sheep, a breed characteristic of the region, preserving the authenticity of a genuinely regional product, a mission to which the founder of the Queijaria has always dedicated himself in defense of the Serra da Estrela region and to whom we all dedicate the prize now awarded”.
The distinction now awarded nationally for its curd cheese follows the recognition of Queijaria Vale da Estrela in 2019 in Paris, where, for the first time, a Serra da Estrela Old Cheese PDO was distinguished at the Mondial du Fromage, one of the three most renowned international competitions, revealing the superior quality and respect for the preservation of the true Serra da Estrela cheese and curd cheese, certified as PDO.