Why don't you try...

Introducing a regular feature profiling off-the-beaten-path cheeses you won't find in humdrum supermarket aisles (but wish you could).

Serra da Estrela:

A cheese that won't have you saying "ew(e)"

On a recent trip to my favorite place to start the weekend early, the perpetually bright and buzzing Borough Market in London, I came across this hidden gem: Serra da Estrela cheese, an ewe's variety from Portugal.

I must admit, it was the display that initially hooked me. An oozing volcano of soft cheese housed in what looked like a built-in bread bowl—its thick, leathery rind. How fun! I was on a personal, impromptu mission to sample all things ewe that day (simply because my experience with sheep's cheese had never extended beyond the omnipresent Pecorino Romano in my Italian-American family's fridge growing up), so I had to try it.

The lovely woman running the stand gave me a generous helping on a piece of bread, and in a maniacal reflexive reaction, I handed her £3 for a piece to take home. Wowowow. I hadn't had such a complex-flavored cheese in a very long time, and to be honest, at first I was a bit frightened because its resemblance to Brie, which I'm not a big fan of—yea, yea, get over it—kind of threw me off. But holy Moses, was it delicious! With a milder flavor than Brie, you can actually taste hints of herbs and even strawberries (!) in this gooey delight if you try hard enough, and it leaves your palate with a toffee-like aftertaste.

"It's wonderful to scoop it out and spread it on a warm, crusty bread," says Juliet Harbutt, cheese expert and founder of the British Cheese Awards. "It's a pity to eat it with too may other things or confuse the flavors." She recommends serving it with a crisp, white wine, or even a rosé or a merlot. "You certainly don't want any wine that's too fruity or too high in tannins—it takes away from the flavor of the cheese" Serra da Estrela is lends itself well to the complementary flavors of a light, Trappist-style beer.

Name: Serra da Estrela DOP

Origin: Guarda, Portugal

Age: 45 days

Typical weight & shape: 500g and 1kg (1lb 2oz–2 1/4 lb), round

Milk: Ewe

Classification: Semi-soft

Producer: Various

History: Made from the raw milk of Bordeleira da Serra da Estrela ewes, sheep from one of the coldest and highest mountains of Portugal, Serra dates back to the Romans. Flocks are fed on wild herbs, flowers, and grasses.

General tasting notes: The supple yellow paste is coagulated with thistle rennet, which is mildly acidic, and has the sweetness of toffee with hints of strawberries and thyme. Super-festive.

Best enjoyed: At room temperature, with the top cut off like a lid, as pictured. Dip in breadsticks, hearty bread, or along with marmalade—conveniently sold at the same stand at the Borough Market, in tons of flavors. (You're welcome, Serra cheese stand lady.) Or, follow my slovenly lead and just eat it with a spoon, standing over the sink at 2am to satisfy your beer munchies.

Historical and production information courtesy of The World Cheese Book (Dorling Kindsley) by Juliet Harbutt.