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Cheese from Portugal, Madeira island

Requeijão da MadeiraRequeijão Madeirense

Requeijão da Madeira is a boundary entry, set by acid and heat. Raw island cow milk is left cold for over 24 hours, or mixed with a little milk soured at room temperature, until its own lactic bacteria bring the pH from 6.6–6.8 down to about 6.0–6.2. Salted and heated slowly over 1.5–2 hours to 90–92 °C, the whole milk curdles, and the floating curd is pressed in cotton cloths or drained in moulds.

Fully documentedCheese26 hPGI (EU, 2023)Family: Acid-heat set cheese family (FERMENTATION BOUNDARY)

Recipe

No fixed amounts recordedThe single document gives no amounts. Cloth-pressed loaves or balls weigh under 10 kg; moulded pieces are packed at 100–500 g.
Raw whole or skimmed cow milk from Madeira, naturally souredNo rennet, starter or acidifier is added[rmad-sd2023]
A small amount of the same raw milk soured at ambient temperature (optional)Speeds up the souring of the rest of the milk[rmad-sd2023]
SaltAdded to the soured milk in the pan before heating; the finished product has 0.2–0.3 % salt[rmad-ce][rmad-sd2023]
Starternone added; the native lactic bacteria of the raw milk, sometimes boosted with a home-soured portion of the same milk

Total time across the recorded steps: 26 h

Start
Drag the bar or press Play
shapes, not to countLactic acid bacteriaup to 6 °CpH 6.6–6.8 → 6Milk proteinGel (curd)

What changes: Native bacteria slowly sour the cold raw milk from pH 6.6–6.8 to about 6.0–6.2

Step 1 of 5
Chill and let the milk sour
Time
at least 24 h
Set
Temperature
up to 6 °C
Set
Salt
None given
Acidity
pH 6.6–6.8 → 6
Set
Which microbes the steps name, step by step
Lactic acid bacteria

Makers judge readiness by heating a little milk in a metal spoon over a flame; when it curdles, the milk is sour enough. A portion of milk soured at room temperature may be mixed in to speed this up.

Flavour
Not documented
Texture
Not documented
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

native lactic bacteria turn lactose into lactic acid

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

At a glance

Requeijão da Madeira is a boundary entry, set by acid and heat. Raw island cow milk is left cold for over 24 hours, or mixed with a little milk soured at room temperature, until its own lactic bacteria bring the pH from 6.6–6.8 down to about 6.0–6.2. Salted and heated slowly over 1.5–2 hours to 90–92 °C, the whole milk curdles, and the floating curd is pressed in cotton cloths or drained in moulds. Made in 5 steps over 26 h. The longest step, chill and let the milk sour, takes at least 24 h (European Commission 2023) and runs at up to 6 °C (European Commission 2023). Native lactic acid bacteria of the raw milk, which turn lactose into lactic acid does most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main stepat least 24 hSet[rmad-sd2023]Chill and let the milk sour
Temperatureup to 6 °CSet[rmad-sd2023]Chill and let the milk sour
AciditypH 5.6–6.2Set[rmad-sd2023]Pack and chill

What makes this one different

Not a whey cheese. Whole raw milk soured only by its own bacteria is heat-curdled, so casein and whey proteins set together; no rennet, starter or acid is added.

Composition
Moisture 52 % (pressed) to 66 % (moulded); protein usually over 15 %; fat up to 16 %; sugars 2–3 %; salt 0.2–0.3 %
Boundary
Set by acid and heat; fermentation is only the natural souring of the raw milk

Related ferments

Safety

The milk is soured cold (below 6 °C) and then heated to 90–92 °C. The product has no preservative but salt and is not cured, so it must be kept at 0–5 °C. The specification says refrigeration alone keeps it 8 to 10 days.

History and sources

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

The single document dates the first cheese records on Madeira to the late 18th century, and convent account books record buying requeijão for queijadas. Current producers recount that from the early 20th century their grandparents boiled the soured skim milk (soro) returned from the island's butter skimming stations; after these closed around 1936 some producers used whole milk. The name was registered as a PGI in November 2023.

  1. [rmad-sd2023] European Commission 2023, publication of an application for registration, single document 'Requeijão da Madeira', OJ C 264, 27.7.2023, p. 63 (2023/C 264/11), via publications.europa.euspec
  2. [rmad-reg2023] Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/2512 of 8 November 2023 entering 'Requeijão da Madeira' (PGI) in the register, OJ L 2023/2512, 15.11.2023spec
  3. [rmad-ce] Requeijão da Madeira, Indicação Geográfica Protegida, Caderno de Especificações (national product specification; copy hosted by vetbiblios.pt)spec