Introducing Zimbro – Our First Portuguese Cheese!

This 450g of oozing deliciousness is the first Portuguese cheese we’ve stocked in the counter. It is produced from unpasteurised sheep’s milk in the Serra da Estrela Mountains, centre north of Portugal. This vegetarian cheese is made using thistle rennet. It is creamy in texture with a washed, thin, pale straw-coloured rind. The cheese itself is aged for 60 days to produce a thick, pudding-like interior highlighted by a clean, perfumed aroma with a sweet, citrussy finish.

Zimbro is the perfect example of a torta-style cheese. Torta-style cheeses are among the most unusual cheeses in Portugal, Spain and perhaps even the world. They are best eaten by slicing a thin layer off the top and then scooping out the interior with a spoon. The cut slice should be kept to be used as a lid! Some of the Spanish cheeses made in this style are overpoweringly strong but Zimbro is well balanced with a slight hint of olives and lemon.

We’ve been enjoying Zimbro with a glass of our Rioja Reserva.

In other news…

I listened to the final of the Virtual Cheese Awards whilst out and about making cheese deliveries this afternoon and was so pleased to hear that the Supreme Champion was none other than my favourite cheddar, Montgomery’s! We had a wheel of it (yes 7kg…) as the base of our wedding cake. Many congratulations to Jamie and all of the team based down in North Cadbury.