Queijo Sao Jorge

This weekend I was able to see and talk to my extended family, at my younger cousin's First Communion party. I was sitting with my mom, grandparents, great aunts, and great uncles. My boyfriend was their, so they obviously felt it was necessary to tell him embarrassing stories about my childhood. Well, I found one of them very interesting and very relevant to this blog.

When I was younger, I apparently had a huge love for cheese. The cheese I loved most was this spicy tasting Portuguese cheese. I called it "the cheese that picas" (picas = burns). I would eat tons of it at a time to the mount that I broke out. My family always knew that I had been eating a lot of cheese because I would have a rash around my mouth. I find this kind of funny. No matter how much the cheese burned my tongue or how severe the rash was, I would continue to eat it.

If you have ever had some, you would understand why. The type of cheese I am speaking of is native to one of the Azorean Islands belonging to Portugal. The islands name is Sao Jorge. The cheese's official name is actually Queijo (cheese) Sao Jorge. It can be purchased in the U.S. but for a very high price. My aunt actually just traveled to the Azores and she brought back a whole round of these cheese. It is normally purchased by the wedge. I cannot wait until Sunday breakfast at her house this weekend... I know the cheese will be out on the table. I like it best in a freshly baked Portuguese roll with butter. It tastes just as good alone.

For those of you who do not like spicy cheese, this cheese comes in various spice intensity. My mom usually orders one that is not spicy at all, that's the only kind my sisters and I can agree on.