Asiago is enjoyed as a complement to pasta,
rice, pizza, or soup. It can also be served
with hearty bread, salami, or such fruits as fresh figs or pears, and it goes well with a variety of beverages
such as red wine, cranberry juice, and sparkling grape juice.
Buying and storing tips
Extra-hard cheeses, well wrapped and refrigerated, can be stored for several months.
Varieties
Traditional asiago
This cheese is available in flavors ranging from mild to aged, and the types are described
by their flavor. Dolce describes a mildly spicy asiago, several months old;
medio describes a stronger product, aged longer; and piccante asiago is a hard,
aged cheese with a piquant flavor, suitable for grating. Piccante asiago is also enjoyed as a
flavorful table cheese, eaten in paper-thin slices.
Asiago d’Allevo
This is the mature, hard cheese. It is produced from skimmed raw cows’ milk and sold
in flat cheese wheels weighing 18 to 31 pounds (8 to 14 kg). It is marketed as fresh
(fresco) asiago, aged two to three months, good for sandwiches and salads, and
medium-ripe (mezzano), aged four to five months. Slow-ripened (vecchio)
asiago, aged nine months or longer, is a table cheese, also suitable for cooking.
*Foods that are an “excellent source” of a particular
nutrient provide 20% or more of the Recommended Daily Value. Foods that are a “good
source” of a particular nutrient provide between 10 and 20% of the Recommended Daily
Value.
The information presented in the Food Guide is for informational purposes
only and was created by a team of US–registered dietitians and food experts. Consult
your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any
supplements, making dietary changes, or before making any changes in prescribed medications.
Information expires June 2009.
