The island of Graciosa is one of the five islands that make up the Central Group of the Azores archipelago.
It was classified by UNESCO as a “Biosphere Reserve”, is the northernmost island of the Central Group and is known as the “White Island” due to its geomorphology and toponymy. An example of this are the names of the localities of Pedras Brancas, Serra Branca and Barro Branco. It is on this beautiful island that the Queijadas da Graciosa are produced, a typical sweet of the island and the Azores region. These queijadas are a regional food product, handmade, considered as a typical sweet and brand image of the island of Graciosa – for many the true gastronomic ex-libris of Graciosa.
They are made with 100% natural products such as milk, butter and sugar, all of them 100% Azorean. At the base of their production, the roots of the tradition are well present. Let’s say that the secret of their flavour comes from the conservation of their traditional manufacturing method and, above all, from the Azorean products that give uniformity to the cheese. In the recent past, these cheeses were called “covilhetes de leite” and were one of the obligatory presences on the table of any party or family gathering of Graciosenses. It was a culinary recipe dominated by the housewives of the Graciosa Island.
In 2003, Maria de Jesus Félix, founder of the pastry shop that produces the “Queijadas da Graciosa”, managed to register the brand “Queijadas da Graciosa” through the National Institute of Industrial Property – INPI. Also, the Regional Support Center for Handicrafts of the Azores – CRAA -, certified the pastry shop as a “Recognized Artisan Productive Unit”, and the cheeses were recognized as “Product of Origin and Certified Quality”. Later, in 2015, they received the seal “Marca Açores, Certificação pela Natureza” (Brand Azores, certified by Nature), affirming the producing entity that this was the first regional product to hold such certification. These cheeses are in great demand outside the region, and much of their production is dedicated to export, particularly to mainland Portugal and the United States of America.
We believe that you will only discover the true flavour of this cheese if you consume it directly in our region, so do not waste time and come discover the best that the Azores have to offer.
