Asiago cheese

Asiago pressato and Asiago d'allevo cheese

Asiago DOP Logo

Asiago is an Italian DOP (Denominazione di Origine Protetta) equivalent to PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) cheese made with cows' milk from the plateau above Asiago. It is produced in two different types: fresh (Asiago pressato) and cured/matured (Asiago d'allevo). These two type cheese have different flavours and different production processes, therefore they cannot be distinguished simply by the ageing period. Asiago pressato, delicate and sweet as fresh milk, is made ​​with whole milk. Asiago d'allevo, with a stronger taste and different levels of savoury depending on ageing (from 3 to 12 months), is made with skim milk. Every Asiago wheel has markings and symbols to certify it is a PDO product: the name "ASIAGO" on the side and the cheese logo are always present. A manufacturer's code which identifies the cheese maker, a casein code gives details of the date of production, production information and names of the dairies, a letter of the alphabet which indicates the month of production and initials of the dairy.

History

Back in the year 1000, sheperds from the plateau above Asiago used to make a cheese using sheep's milk. Around the year 1500, sheep were replaced by cows and from then on cow milk has been used. Asiago d'allevo, and in particular Asiago d'allevo stravecchio (the most aged type), is today the variety which closely resembles the simple cheese made thousands years ago called "pegorin" by the shepherds. In the 1920s local dairies began producing Asiago pressato, also known as fresh Asiago.

Origin

Both Asiago pressato (or fresh Asiago) and Asiago d'allevo (or mature Asiago) are produced in an area which stretches from the meadows of the Po Valley to the Alpine pastures of the Asiago plateau in Veneto and Trentino. The milk comes from four provinces: the entire province of Vicenza and Trento and a small part of the provinces of Padova and Treviso. When the cheese is produced entirely in dairies located more than 600 metres above sea level, using milk collected from farms in this limited area, and is then processed and matured in shepherds' huts and dairies in this same area, it is entitled to the additional distinction "Product of the Mountains".

Consortium

Consorzio per la tutela del formaggio Asiago
Corso Fogazzaro, 18
36100 Vicenza

phone: +39 0444 321758 
fax: +39 0444 326212

http://www.asiagocheese.it/

Buy on line or in shops (in UK)

• http://www.natoora.co.uk/shop/cheesemonger/parmesan-cheddar-comte-and-friends/asiago-dop/prod15412.html?source=webgains&siteid=47683
• http://www.italianfoodexpress.co.uk/shop?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage-vmshopgreen.tpl&product_id=199&category_id=14
• http://www.lafromagerie.co.uk/asiago-pressato/

See also

• Asiago d'allevo
• Asiago pressato

Calories in different varieties and various types of cheeses

The number of calories in various types of cheese is very similar when you compare your cheese to a similar types of cheese.

For example, almost cheeses that are similar to Cheddar cheese have around 400 calories per 100g

If the Asiago cheese is not listed below, select a similar type of cheese from the list below to get a rough idea for the number of calories in Asiago cheese.

The calorie lists are sortable by clicking the up and down arrows in the heading columns

Cheese type	Calories per 100g
American cheese	371
Blue cheese	353
Camembert cheese	299
Cheddar cheese	402
Cottage cheese	98
Edam cheese	357
Farmer's cheese	98
Feta cheese	264
Fontina cheese	389
Goat cheese	364
Gouda cheese	356
Gruyere cheese	413
Mozzarella cheese	280
Parmesan cheese	431
Pimento cheese	375
Provolone cheese	352
Queso blanco cheese	310
Ricotta cheese	174
Roquefort cheese	369
Swiss cheese	380

Browse Cookipedia's recipes with Pinterest

Almost all of Cookipedia's recipe pictures have now been uploaded to Pinterest which is a very convenient way to browse through them, all in one huge board, or by individual categories. If you're a Pinterest user, I think you'll find this feature useful.

Update with Facebook debugger

Errors and omissions

If you are a cheese producer and your cheese does not appear to be listed on Cookipedia or the information on your cheese is incorrect or out of date, please use the Contact the Editor page to send us a message and we will update the information on your cheese.