Asiago cheese is one of the most traditional Italian cheeses.
The cheese takes its name from the Asiago plateau between the Italian towns of Vicenza, Trento, Padua and Treviso, where there is the highest concentration of Alpine summer pastures in Europe.
Already by the year 1000 the Asiago plateau was privileged pasture-land for the herds which still today feed on fodder believed to be among the best and most nutritionally balanced of the Italian pastures. Since the 16th century, with the progressive substitution of sheep with cow herds, Asiago cheese, as we know it today, came about and as always it is produced in many different ways according to the traditional production methods. Since 1979, the Asiago cheese protection committee has guaranteed the origin of the product and its provenance by means of the branding.
There are two quite different types of Asiago cheese; different both for production method and final result: the Asiago D’allevo (matured), with a taste which becomes more pronounced and pungent with the passing of time, and the Asiago Pressato (fresh), which is rich and mild. The first type is produced with skimmed milk and needs ripening for between 6 months for the “mezzano” or semi-matured cheese, to a minimum of nine months for the “aged” cheese and up to two years ripening for the “extra-aged” (also called “pegorin” – a local word for sheep - as a reminder of the time when ewes’ milk was used).
“Asiago Pressato” – pressed Asiago (so-called due to the manual or hydraulic pressing process of the cheese forms) is produced with fresh whole milk which has matured for about 20-40 days before eating; it is recognizable for its white, very slightly yellowy colour and by the delightfully mild taste. It has a soft consistency with little holes; the delicate aroma, in addition to making it an excellent table cheese, also makes it suitable for preparing numerous recipes.
The semi-matured Asiago, with its slightly straw-yellow colour, has a full-bodied flavour and is mild yet intense; the texture is elastic and compact with a balanced, pleasant taste.
Aged, or extra-aged Asiago is more straw-coloured and has a granular texture which increases with time. Its flavour is pleasantly pungent and aromatic, with a pleasantly salty taste which makes it a prized cheese for grating; its unmistakable flavour makes it a versatile ingredient which Peck’s chefs recommend both for preparation of dishes and for the cheese-board.
