As far back as the year 1000 AD, a tasty cheese was produced on the Asiago Plateau using sheep’s milk. As from the 1500s, with the gradual increase in bovine herds on the Plateau, the raw material used switched to cow’s milk. Over the centuries, the development in cheese-making techniques led to expansion of production into other areas close to the Asiago Plateau: the foothills, the surrounding plains and the Alpine huts in the nearby Trentino region. The oldest Asiago, closest to the traditions of cheese-makers from the Plateau and with a more intense and mouth-filling flavour, is Aged Asiago. In the early 1900s, the traditions of the PDO area were combined with more innovative cheese-making technologies, leading to the creation of Fresh Asiago.

FRESH ASIAGO PDO  (aged for at least 20 days)
A cheese with a young flavour and taste of raw milk, which melts in the mouth to release a sweet and slightly acidic note. When cut it has a whitish or straw yellow colour. The holes are marked and irregular. It is soft like sponge cake and elastic. Its aromas are reminiscent of yoghurt and butter. It has delicate and pleasant taste.

AGED ASIAGO PDO (aged for at least 60 days from the last day of the month of production)
A flavoursome cheese with a decisive personality. It should be chewed slowly to appreciate the explosion of aromatic notes. It comes in the Mezzano (medium mature), Vecchio (mature) or Stravecchio (extra mature) varieties, depending on ageing. When cut it has a straw yellow or slightly lighter colour. Holes are small or medium sized. It is compact, but with a soft structure. As it continues to age, it becomes more compact. It has an aroma reminiscent of bread or pizza dough, almonds and hazlenuts. Its flavour is decisive and full. It has a rich aroma that improves with age and a pleasant, even slightly piquant, flavour.
Mezzano: aged for 4-6 months; Vecchio: aged for over 10 months; Stravecchio: over 15 months.

Thanks to Consorzio di Tutela del Formaggio Asiago