Still produced in a traditional way, the mouth-watering Rabaçal cheese dates back to the foundation of Portugal. Described by the Portuguese writer Eça de Queiroz as "round and divine", Rabaçal cheese is a true gastronomic delight!
Produced in Rabaçal, in the municipality of Penela, 1 hour away from Coimbra, Rabaçal cheese is a sheep and goat milk cheese that is matured with a semi-hard and white/yellowish paste and few or no irregular holes. It is a seasonal product, with peak production between April and May. It is still traditionally made from mixing sheep and goat milk by the action of rennet with animal origin. It is a product with Protected Designation of Origin.
But what makes Rabaçal cheese so deeply special? Much of the distinctive flavour of this cheese is due to a plant called "Santa Maria". This is a spontaneous thyme (Thymus zygis), abundant in this area, which serves as food for the sheep and goats that provide the milk for the production of this cheese.
Renowned Queijaria da Licínia, based in the village Cotas, sells the best Rabaçal cheese! In this welcoming village you will also find one of Center of Portugal's most surprising accommodations: Villa Pedra Natural Houses.