Dairy
Asiago
Asiago is a cow’s-milk cheese from the Veneto and Trentino plateaus of northern Italy, made in two principal styles: fresh Asiago Pressato (smooth, mild, elastic) and aged Asiago d’Allevo (firmer to hard, more savoury and granular). Both are rennet-coagulated and pressed; ageing determines whether the cheese is sliced for the table or grated like a mountain hard cheese. It is a PDO product tied to defined alpine and foothill zones. Young Asiago suits sandwiches and melting; mature wheels are broken or grated over pasta, polenta, and salads, bridging table and grating roles within one protected name.
Also known as: Asiago Pressato, Asiago d'Allevo
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History
Alpine herdsmen of the Asiago plateau produced early pressed cow’s-milk cheeses from summer pastures.
Production expanded from sheep toward cow’s milk as cattle husbandry grew on the plateau and surrounding valleys.
Post-war dairy cooperatives standardised Pressato and d’Allevo styles for wider Italian markets.
Denomination of origin rules began protecting Asiago’s geographic link and production methods.
Asiago received Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status in the European Union.
Export of both fresh and aged Asiago grew while mountain dairies emphasised long-aged d’Allevo.