🧀 Asiago
Also known as: Asiago cheese, Asiago DOP
Italian semi-cooked PDO cheese from cow's milk from Veneto and Trentino: delicate Fresco and aged Stagionato, ripened at least 90 days.
Asiago is an Italian semi-cooked cow's milk cheese from the Asiago plateau and nearby parts of Veneto and Trentino. One name covers two very different cheeses: the young, delicate Fresco and the aged, more pronounced Stagionato. The name has been protected in the EU as a PDO since 1996. 13
The plateau and the war. According to the single document, cheese has been made on the Asiago plateau since the year 1000. The area grew for a grim reason: during the First World War farmers were forced off the plateau and found suitable land within about 80 km. That is why Asiago today is made in the mountains, the foothills and the plain. 3
Two types, two methods. Fresco uses whole milk, raw, thermised or pasteurised, while Stagionato uses milk partly skimmed by surface skimming, raw or thermised only. Skimming explains the difference in fat: at least 34 % in dry matter against 44 % for Fresco. A Fresco wheel weighs 11–15 kg and a Stagionato 8–12 kg. 3
How long it ripens. Stagionato ages at least 90 days. The label may say mezzano (4–10 months), vecchio (10–15) or stravecchio (over 15), and the taste moves from mild and slightly savoury to more and more fragrant. Fresco ripens far less, and after more than 40 days it may be called riserva. The old names Allevo and Pressato remain allowed beside the new ones, which were meant to be clearer to shoppers. 36
Mountain and plain give different milk. Despite the single name, studies can tell production systems apart by feed: pasture cheese has more conjugated linoleic acid and vitamin A than lowland cheese from maize silage. A survey of 517 farms found that small traditional mountain farms, with local breeds and their own forage, also help preserve the landscape. 45
Prodotto della montagna. This extra mention marks mountain cheeses under separate rules: their milk is collected within 48 hours of the first milking rather than 36, and may be kept at natural temperatures. So this line on the label says more than the name Asiago alone. 3
Why it matters to you. Choose the type first: Fresco for a delicate cheese, Stagionato for more flavour. Look on the side for the stamped Asiago marks, and on aged cheese for the letter of the production month, which tells you its age. Want mountain cheese? Look for “prodotto della montagna”. 3
Facts
| Raw material | Cow's milk (Fresco whole, Stagionato partially skimmed) 3 |
|---|---|
| Country | Italy 1 |
| Region | Provinces of Vicenza and Trento, parts of Padua and Treviso 3 |
| Duration | Stagionato at least 90 days 3 |
| Legal basis | EU PDO since 21.06.1996, PDO-IT-0001 1 |
| Taste | Fresco delicate; Stagionato mild, slightly savoury, later fragrant 3 |
What it includes
How it connects to Cheese
🧀 Asiago ← gives ← 🔄 Curdling → gives → 🧀 Cheese
Links
- Made from which milk
- 🥛 Cow's milk
- How it is made
- 🔄 Curdling, 🔄 Ripening
- What is needed
- 🧫 Rennet, 🧂 Salt
- What it contains
- 🧪 Milk fat
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 Italians, 🌍 Southern Europe
- Part of
- 🧀 Semi-hard cheeses, 🏷️ Protected cheese names, 🇮🇹 Italian cheeses
Frequently asked questions
What milk is Asiago made from?
Only cow's milk: whole milk for Fresco, partially skimmed milk for Stagionato.
How long is Asiago matured?
Stagionato at least 90 days from production; Fresco has a shorter minimum period and may be called riserva after 40 days.
What is the difference between Asiago Fresco and Stagionato?
Fresco is the fresher type (also called pressato), 11 to 15 kg; Stagionato (also d'allevo) is matured longer, 8 to 12 kg.
Why can Asiago be so different?
There are two types: Fresco from whole milk ripens briefly, Stagionato from partly skimmed milk ripens at least 90 days.
What does prodotto della montagna mean?
An extra mention for mountain cheese made under separate rules, including how the milk is collected and stored.
What to read next
- 🧪 Milk fat — ~3.5% in cow's milk.
- 🌍 Southern Europe — The Mediterranean south of Europe — Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal: sheep's and goat's milk cheeses and most of the world's olive oil.
- 🔄 Curdling — Rennet coagulates casein into a curd (the basis of cheese).
- 🧂 Salt — Added to cheese and butter.
- 🧑🤝🧑 Italians — The people of Italy; their cuisine rests on wine, olive oil and cheese, and in 2025 the country made 44.4 million hectolitres of wine, the most in the world.
Similar
🧀 Fontina · 🧀 Bra (cheese) · 🧀 Formaggella del Luinese · 🧀 Pecorino Sardo · 🧀 Pecorino Toscano · 🧀 Arzúa-Ulloa
ℹ️ Dairy products contain lactose and milk proteins: if you are lactose intolerant or allergic to milk protein, ask a doctor.
Sources
- eAmbrosia — Asiago (PDO-IT-0001)
- EUR-Lex — Регламент (ЄС) 1107/96
- Single document 'Asiago' (PDO-IT-0001-AM02) — OJ C 178/8, 28.5.2020
- Lora I. et al. An insight into the dairy chain of a Protected Designation of Origin cheese: The case study of Asiago cheese. Journal of Dairy Science 103 (10), 2020
- Segato S. et al. Identification of Lipid Biomarkers To Discriminate between the Different Production Systems for Asiago PDO Cheese. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 65 (45), 2017
- Provincia autonoma di Trento: L'Asiago DOP cambia disciplinare (comunicato n. 998, 2019)