Description
Zimbro Cheese
About Zimbro
Zimbro is a Portuguese cheese made from raw sheep’s milk, with a creamy texture and a herby flavour from thistle rennet. It comes from the Serra da Estrela Mountains, an area known for unique sheep cheeses.
Zimbro may not be as famous as Serra da Estrela or Azeitão, but it has loyal fans among cheesemongers and those seeking something different. Its soft, pudding-like centre and rustic character make it a real treat if you’re looking for something special.
The Backstory
Like many farmhouse cheeses, Zimbro’s history is unclear. It originated in small farming communities and is part of the larger group of Portuguese thistle-coagulated cheeses, associated with sheep farming in the Serra da Estrela. Zimbro means juniper berry in Portuguese, though the cheese doesn’t taste of it. The name evokes the region’s wild plants. Families have long used thistle flowers to set the milk when animal rennet was scarce, a method predating factories.
Sheep in these hills were kept for meat, wool, and milk. Collected milk was set with vegetarian cardoon thistle, a method common in Iberian cheeses that gives Zimbro its herby notes. Unlike some cheeses that are big business or officially protected, Zimbro is still made traditionally, in small batches, reflecting its origins.
Zimbro – Jen’s Tasting Notes
Zimbro is an artisan sheep’s-milk cheese with a creamy centre and a thin, washed rind. Made from raw milk and set with cardoon thistle, it’s vegetarian with a complex, full flavour. It comes in small wheels (450g to 1kg) with a straw-coloured rind that may show blue or grey spots as it matures. Inside, it’s thick and scoopable. It is commonly aged for around 35–60 days, during which time the interior becomes soft enough to scoop. The rind is washed lightly, which contributes to its leathery surface and develops subtle earthy notes.
Zimbro is known for its clean, perfumed aroma, with herby and citrus hints from thistle and the sheep’s diet. Eating it balances creamy, herby, tangy, and green notes. Its texture is supple and creamy, especially at room temperature. The interior can be thick and pudding‑like, so scoopability is a defining characteristic. It offers a clean, milky scent with herbal, green, and sometimes citrus notes.
The taste starts sweet and milky, then moves to herby, green notes from cardoon thistle, finishing with a gentle tang of citrus. Bitterness may appear, but it adds complexity.
Zimbro isn’t a strongly washed-rind cheese. Its charm comes from balance and creaminess, not strength.
How to Serve and Pair Zimbro
- Make sure you take it out of the fridge a good hour before you want to eat it so it can come up to room temperature.
- Classic pairings: A crisp Douro white pairs perfectly, highlighting the cheese’s citrus and herby notes.
- Something a little different: A Blonde Ale also works well; its light, malty flavour balances the cheese.
- On the plate: Anything that you can use as a scoop is the perfect pairing! I love carrot and celery sticks.
- In the kitchen: The traditional serving method of cutting off the top and scooping the interior with a spoon emphasises the cheese’s rich, creamy interior and makes for an interactive, convivial presentation.
Jen’s note: One of the things I find most interesting about Zimbro is that it’s made with thistle (cardoon) extract rather than animal rennet. Cardoon thistles are actually related to artichokes. In places where cows were rare, or animal rennet was hard to get, cheesemakers turned to plants to set the milk, a tradition that goes back centuries in the Mediterranean.
Buying Zimbro
- Brand or Producer: Casa Lusa
- Product name: Zimbro
- Milk: Sheep
- Country: Portugal
- Region: Beira Baixa
- Strength: Medium
- Vegetarian: Yes
- Suitable for pregnancy: No
- Allergens: MILK
Sizes and Prices
- Whole cheese (approx. 450g), £19.75
Storage Advice
- Keep refrigerated
- Wrap in waxed paper or cling film
- Remove from the fridge before serving
- Consume within 10 to 14 days of opening
Delivery and Collection
- UK wide courier delivery
- Click and collect from our Pangbourne shop
- Free local delivery available for selected postcodes
Ingredients (Allergens are listed in capitals)
MILK, salt, rennet
