HISTORY AND RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ENVIRONMENT

Sheep, including lamb, must be produced on farms with extensive production systems, ie in open-air production at all stages of production. It is entirely linked to the production of Serra da Estrela Cheese.

The geographical area of production of Lamb (birth, breeding and slaughtering of animals) coincides with that of Queijo Serra da Estrela.

Lamb is a high quality product, known locally as Borrego de Canastra because it was traditionally transported to the market, due to its small size, in baskets made of chestnut wood.

Exploited in practically extreme herds, or together with goats, the Serra da Estrela sheep breed has a good adaptation to the soil and climate conditions of the Region.

This lamb is entirely linked to the production of Serra da Estrela Cheese. It resulted, over the centuries, from the interest of Serra da Estrela cheese producers to start milking their sheep as soon as possible, as well as from the physiological capacities of the native breeds that, in the first month of life, achieve high daily replacements and good acceptance by consumers.

From the above, one can understand the close connection of this meat, by tradition, to the Serra da Estrela Cheese production area and to the festive habits and cuisine of the region.

Many traditional recipes are made with this meat, a frequent example being lamb roasted in a wood oven.

It is a light lamb, raised exclusively with mother’s milk with a live weight of up to 12 kg and a carcass weight of up to 7 kg. This fact makes him also nicknamed Borrego de Leite.

The carcasses of these lambs have a well-distributed subcutaneous fat, which gives a very homogeneous and well-presented carcass, in which the meat has a very soft taste, being particularly soft and tasty.

MANAGEMENT AND PASTURES

The flora in the Serra da Estrela Cheese production area contributes greatly to its aroma. The Serra da Estrela sheep is able to extract the aromas that make the cheese unmistakable from this flora into the milk.

It is this same milk, loaded with such aromas and properties, that is used to feed the lambs and allows them to have meat with the flavorful characteristics, tenderness and light color that make it so special and desirable.

The lambs feed on their mother’s milk and on some pasture that they eat while they are with their mothers, imitating them. The producer does not prepare or use any food for these animals.

Sheep, including lamb, must be produced on farms with extensive production systems, ie in open-air production at all stages of production.