Serra da Estrela Cheese Market returns to Gouveia this week: Gazeta Rural

It is at the end of this week, on the 29th and 30th of March, that the Serra da Estrela Cheese Market returns to Gouveia.

This event to value, promote and sell Serra da Estrela PDO Cheese and other endogenous Serra da Estrela products will take place at the Gouveia Municipal Market and will feature a program dedicated to cheese, one of the wonders of Portuguese gastronomy.

The Cheese Market brings together, for two days, pastors, producers and dairies of Queijo da Serra da Estrela, in an event where there will be no shortage of gastronomy, lots of flavor and entertainment.

The activity aims to value and bring together the entire production chain of this endogenous product, of primary relevance to the municipality of Gouveia, implementing spaces for tasting and selling the main Portuguese cheese, a product of excellence.

The program for the two days of the Market is full and diverse, with musical and cultural entertainment
guaranteed and with visitors having the possibility of attending various presentations and moments
gastronomic activities, with emphasis on showcooking, a fashion show and a folklore exhibition of the
municipality of Gouveia.

The event will begin on Friday, March 29th, at 9:45 am, with a greeting to the city by the Sociedade Recreativa e Musical de Moimenta da Serra, followed by the opening of the Cheese Market
2024 and the Serra da Estrela Cheese Fair, with a Serra da Estrela Cheese PDO manufacturing workshop.

Also during the morning, in addition to the public cheese tasting, there will also be a
presentation of “Chocolate bonbons filled with Serra da Estrela PDO Cheese”, by Queijaria da
Caramuja, the entertainment will be provided by the musical group “Décibeis Brass Band”.

At 12:00 p.m., the PDO National Cheese tasting, “Queijos de Portugal” – ADRUSE Cooperation Project, will take place in the Queijos de Portugal space.

The afternoon begins with the presentation of the final project “Serra Revisitada”, by João Martins, from the Gouveia Institute, in the Showcooking space. Two more presentations will follow, one by Terras da
Transhumance and another from another final project – Mariana Ferreira (IG), with “Fresh cheese tart”.

The musical entertainment will be provided by the singing group “Os Mondeguinhos”, who will take the stage for their performance at 3:30 pm.

Later, a sensory tasting with Serra da Estrela Cheese will take place in the presentation area.
DOP – Estrelacoop, this is an activity that requires mandatory prior registration at the information desk of the Cheese Market, located on the 2nd floor of the Municipal Market.

Espaço Queijos de Portugal will host a tasting of national PDO cheeses from the cooperation project
“Cheese from Portugal”, ADRUSE.

The end of the first day of the event could not end in a better way, with an activity aimed at children, a “Sweet Easter Egg” cooking workshop, led by IG and which requires prior registration.

At 6pm there will be a 100% wool fashion and accessories show, with musical accompaniment from
group “LUA”, made up of Aurora Pinto from Gouve, finalist in the second edition of “The Voice Kids
Portugal”, who joined Catarina Vital and Jónatas Samuel to form the band that has a single in the Morangos com Açúcar 2023 series.

On Saturday, March 30th, the market opens its doors at 10 am, with the making of Requeijão de
Beatilha and a technical test of Requeijão Serra da Estrela DOP (activity that requires registration), by
Confraria Báquica Gastronomica and Requeijão da Serra da Estrela, in the showcooking space and in the presentation area respectively.

At 11 am, the Gouveia Concertina Group will liven up the space with their music, followed by a PDO National Cheese Tasting and, at 12 pm, the signing of the protocol for gastronomic research and innovation within the scope of Requeijão Serra da Estrela DOP, between the Confraria Báquica Gastronomica e do Requeijão da Serra da Estrela and IG Escola Profissional, culminating in the presentation of the final project – Vera Loureiro “Flavors of the village”.

In the afternoon, starting at 2:30 pm, folklore will be highlighted with the Folklore Exhibition of
Municipality of Gouveia, when the Folklore Ranch of Vila Nova will be present to perform
of Tazem, the Folklore Ranch of Caso do Povo de Nespereira, the Folklore Ranch of Vinhó and the Rancho
Gouveia Folkloric, an initiative not to be missed.

After the last tasting of national DOP cheeses, in the Queijos de Portugal space, the event ends with the Pairing of Serra da Estrela DOP Cheese with Vinhos Dão – Estrelacoop in the presentation area.

The Cheese Market is organized by the Municipality of Gouveia and has the collaboration of APROSE –
Association of Shepherds and Cheese Producers of Serra da Estrela, of the Gouveia Institute – School
Professional, from ADRUSE – Serra da Estrela Rural Development Association, Terras da Transumância and EstrelaCoop – Serra da Estrela Cheese Producers Cooperative.

Photo: CM Gouveia.