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Fermentation Atlas

Cheese from Portugal, Trás-os-Montes

Queijo de Cabra Transmontano

Raw milk from Serrana goats is warmed or cooled to about 35 °C and set with animal rennet in 40–60 minutes. The curd is drained lightly, pressed with weights until all the whey is out, salted after unmoulding and dried. It ripens at least 60 days, or 90 days for the harder Velho, at 5–12 °C while the cheeses are turned and washed. Made in 6 steps over 2 months. The longest step, ripen, turning and washing, takes at least 2 months (European Commission 2012) and runs at 5–12 °C (European Commission 2012). Lactic acid bacteria from the raw goat milk does most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main stepat least 2 monthsSet[oj-2012]Ripen, turning and washing
Temperature5–12 °CSet[oj-2012]Ripen, turning and washing

Recipe

No fixed amounts recordedThe specification gives no amounts. A cheese weighs 0.3–0.6 kg or 0.6–0.9 kg in its two sizes.
Raw goat milk · Pure milk of Serrana goats reared in the area[oj-2012]
Animal rennet[oj-2012]
Edible salt[oj-2012]
Olive oil and paprika (optional) · For coating the Velho, which turns the rind red[oj-2012]
Starter: none added; the raw milk carries the lactic bacteria

Total time across the recorded steps: 2 months

Start
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What changes: Starting material: raw milk from Serrana goats, filtered after milking

Step 1 of 6
Filter the milk after milking
Time
Not documented
Temperature
Not documented
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
Which microbes the steps name, step by step
Lactic acid bacteria

Output: filtered raw goat milk.

Flavour
Not documented
Texture
Not documented
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

Not documented for this step.

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source

What makes this one different

It is made only from the raw milk of one goat breed, the Serrana, set with animal rennet rather than cardoon. It is pressed hard, washed while it ripens, and the Velho may be coated in olive oil and paprika.

Milk
Raw milk from Serrana goats only
Composition
Fat 35–55 % of dry matter; moisture 27–37 % (25–35 % for Velho)
Size
Flat cylinder, 6–12 cm or 12–19 cm across, 3–6 cm high; 0.3–0.6 kg or 0.6–0.9 kg
Ripening
Velho at least 90 days

Related ferments

Variants

  • Queijo de Cabra TransmontanoRipened at least 60 days; semi-hard; white rind.
  • Queijo de Cabra Transmontano VelhoRipened at least 90 days; hard to extra-hard; may be coated with olive oil and paprika.

Safety

Made from raw milk; the specification requires at least 60 days of ripening and storage at 0–5 °C.

History and sources

Every number is labelled with how it is known. How this atlas is made

The 1994 production rules named it Queijo de Cabra Serrano Transmontano and limited it to ten municipalities. The 2012 amendment added the Velho type, allowed semi-hard cheeses, set the 40–60 minute curdling time and extended the area to Alijó, Vimioso and part of Bragança.

  1. [oj-2012] European Commission 2012, Publication of an amendment application, 'Queijo de Cabra Transmontano' (PT-PDO-0117-0226-10.03.2011), single document, Official Journal of the EU C 163, 9 June 2012, p. 5spec
  2. [caderno-1994] IMAIAA / Ministério da Agricultura, Normas de produção do Queijo de Cabra Serrano Transmontano (1994), published by DGADRspec
  3. [freitas2000] Freitas C., Malcata F.X. 2000, Microbiology and biochemistry of cheeses with Appélation d'Origine Protegée and manufactured in the Iberian Peninsula from ovine and caprine milks, Journal of Dairy Science 83(3):584–602 (abstract)paper