The Asiago Cheese Protection Consortium was founded in 1979 on the initiative of the Vicenza Chamber of Commerce, in order to ensure that only cheese that complies with the production discipline is called, recognized and sold as Asiago.

In the previous year Asiago had already been recognized as DOC cheese (controlled denomination of origin) by decree of the President of the Republic.
In 1996 it was recognized by the European Union as a DOP cheese. The protected designation of origin is a legal protection mark of the denomination, attributed by the European Union to foods whose unique qualitative characteristics depend essentially or exclusively on the territory in which they were produced.

In 2006, the new Asiago DOP Disciplinewas drafted.

It is an association made up of cheese producers and seasoners. It has duties of protection, promotion, enhancement and consumer information related to Asiago DOP cheese.

The Asiago DOP supply chain now includes 1,436 breeding farms, 36 producers and 6 aging companies (data 2019), which work more than 2,200,000 tons of milk every year.

Asiago cheese is currently exported to more than 50 foreign countries.

According to the Asiago Cheese Production Discipline, the protected origin name "Asiago"is reserved for semi-cooked cheese produced exclusively with cow's milk,milk that must be produced from farms located within the delimited area and processed into dairy farms located in the area itself. This area is identified by art. 2 of the disciplinary and includes the entire provinces of Vicenza and Trento and part of the provinces of Padua and Treviso.

All the processing phases of Asiago, from the raw material to the marketing of all forms of cheese, must comply with the production rules handed down by tradition and expressed by the production discipline.

The Asiago cheese is unmistakable: each slice is recognized by the inscription "ASIAGO" on the crust and each shape shows the number of the dairy that produced it as well as its own identification code in the casein plate,which is also marked with a logo symbolizing a form of cheese missing from a clove; the absent wedge is represented by the letter "A" stylized and partially inserted into the form.
The marks and marks are the symbol of these controls and provide both traceability and the guarantee that the cheese is actually DOP.

Asiago cheese was born on the Asiago plateau,from which it takes its name.

Here since the year one thousand a tasty cheese was produced. These mountain places, in fact, were since then ideal for the production of genuine milk perfect to be transformed into a natural cheese, healthy and unmistakable in taste:the Plateau is in fact immersed in nature and characterized by mild climate, healthy air, pure water and rich vegetation, which provided the best nourishment for livestock.
Initially sheep's milk was used, then, from 1500, with the progressive increase of cattle farms on the Plateau, only cow's milkwas used.
The area of milk collection and production of Asiago cheese has gradually expanded in the surrounding territories,until it spreads in the foothills, in the neighboring plains and in the nearby Trentino huts.

Today Asiago PDO is produced in four provinces: Vicenza, Trento and a part of Padua and Treviso. Only the Asiago cheese produced in this area is authentic Asiago DOP cheese.

The oldest Asiago, tastier and closer to the tradition of the Altopianese cheesemakers, is definitely theASIAGO STAGIONATO,also called Asiago d'allevo. It is produced with partially skimmed milk and left to mature for a period of 3 to over 15 months. The color is straw, and is characterized by a small or medium-sized eye, has a strong and tasty taste, which increases as the maturation progresses.
It is also called Asiago Mezzano (seasoning from 4 to 6 months), Asiago Vecchio (seasoning from 10 to 15 months) and Asiago Stravecchio (seasoning over 15 months).

In the early years of the twentieth century was born theASIAGO FRESCO,also called Asiago pressed. The taste of this cheese, sweet and soft,has facilitated its international spread. Fresh Asiago is produced with whole milk and maturing for at least 20 days. The color is white or slightly straw, and is characterized by a marked and irregular eye and the taste of freshly milked milk.

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