Asiago cheese

Asiago, including Asiago is an Italian cheese northeast with protected designation of origin.

Asiago ( cheese)

On the Asiago Plateau, the main town of the seven churches, a linguistic island of the Cimbri in the province of Vicenza, Veneto region, for over a thousand years cheese is produced. Previously, the milk supplied to mainly sheep. The type Asiago has been known since the Middle Ages and is now produced all over the plateau up to the Vezzena pass and after Lusern.

History

The history of the cheese, which is produced for over a thousand years running parallel to that of the inhabitants of the Asiago Plateau, from the name comes from.

Previously, the plateau of the Seven Churches was known for its made ​​from sheep's milk cheese. With the agricultural settlement and the subsequent industrialization, the traditional sheep next to the milk and the wool for the population of the valleys of Vicenza. The breeding techniques improved, so that around the year 1500, the sheep farming was replaced by the cattle; only since the 19th century, the cheese is made exclusively from cow's milk. The manufacturing process used at the time of the cheese is now refined with modern techniques and is widely used in small and medium-sized dairy production areas. Wars and other events of the last centuries led to the depopulation of the high level of seven municipalities. Thus, the production of Asiago cheese was also taken into the adjoining Trentino.

One of the oldest among the Asiago varieties is certainly the " D' Allevo " which is enjoyed only after months of storage. The different among the locals as " Pegorin " famous cheese smells depending on the maturation and processing.

In the 1920s, the production of a short bearing asiago cheese began. The so-called " Asiago Pressato " is pressed manually or hydraulically into cheese molds. The production variant of this "new" product was used already in the old dairies and convinced the modern cheese lovers with its sweet relish. Nowadays we Asiago cheese increasingly produced to meet the increasing demand. So the cheese was in 1955 considered high quality by the " Denominazione Tipica ". Subsequently, it was Asiago cheese with the " Controlled Denomination of Origin " (DOC ) ( AOC ), a seal of approval for Italian products, awarded on 21 December 1978.

In 1979, merged 56 dairies and founded the " Consorzio per la tutela del formaggio Asiago " ( Consortium for the Protection of the Asiago cheese ). Their goal was to improve the quality of the product, the promotion of the distribution and the correct observance of the regulations, which serves to protect the product. Today the consortium has 14 members, store and ripen the cheese, and 66 members produce the cheese. These members were able " well - discrete" to settle 80% of production in the classroom (1986 compared to 50 %).

AIMA " Azienda di Stato per interventi nel Mercato Agricolo " ( Public Enterprise for interventions in the agricultural market ), the donors of the consortium has proposed a quality project recently. This should closely monitor the cheese, by controlling the production process, ranging from the selection of milk to market, in order to offer consumers an even nobler cheese can.

Today, the Asiago is the sixth Italian DOP cheese to quantity produced, the fifth DOP cheese to amount sold in Italy and is the tenth of the Italian DOP cheese total. The increase in production from the initial 7,100 tons to today 23,000 metric tons of means a unique growth of the sector and has contributed to the increased efficiency of cheese production, using the combinations in co-operatives, many small -scale farming has allowed the continued existence. In the last 25 years the production of Asiago cheese is slowly increased and its price has remained constant for consumption.

Production

Today Asiago from cow's milk is produced a Melkganges resting six to twelve hours in small tubs and then skimmed off. Less often the milk of two Melkgänge is used in this case only the first speed is skimmed, increasing the fat content of the cheese. After curdling milk with rennet, the curd is burned, that is heated to about 40 ° C in order to compress it. The released whey is removed and the fracture drawn in special wooden molds, which are called fascere. After a rest period in which contact the wheel-shaped loaves with a diameter of 30 to 36 cm at a height of 9-12 cm and weighing 8-12 kg, and solidify, they come in a salt bath and then at least three to five stored for months to mature.

Asiago cheese is now produced exclusively in dairies the following places and provinces:

• In the province of Vicenza
• In the province of Trento
• In the province of Padua: Carmignano di Brenta in the municipalities, S. Pietro in Gu, Grantorto, Gazzo, Piazzola sul Brenta, Villafranca Padovana Campodoro, Mestrino, Veggiano, Cervarese S. Croce e Rovolon.
• In the province of Treviso: the production area is strictly limited here; from the village Rossano Veneto ( Vicenza province ), the limit goes to Rossano - Castelfranco Veneto to the intersection of the state road n 53 " Postumia ". The production boundary runs along this road crosses the motorway from Treviso south to the intersection with the A27. By the river Piave, the boundary follows the north of this highway, then turn west to the border of the provinces of Treviso and Belluno from.

Properties

The Asiago has a smooth, thin, elastic crust of yellowish-gray color and a pale straw-colored dough with many small holes. The right soft cheese tastes mild, slightly spicy with a nutty and slightly lemony flavor. Mature Asiago is harder and more compact and developed a slightly sour flavor.

Variants

Basically, there are two very different main types ( Asiago Pressato ( fresco) and Asiago ( stagionato ) ), the latter can be subdivided into three further categories.

For the production of whole milk is used by certain milk cows ( Friesian and Brown Swiss ). Initially, the milk is heated to 35 ° C and after the curdling milk with rennet, the curd is fired, i.e. heated up to 45 ° C, in order to compress it. The released whey is removed and after salting, the curd is ladled into special wooden molds, which are called fascere and where all around the Asiago character is printed. Now the forms for two to three days, the frescura given in drying room. Thereafter, the cheese is removed from the mold and placed for two days, a salt bath. For the maturation of cheese for 20 to 40 days will be returned to the forms.

The finished round loaves have a diameter of 30-40 cm, a height of about 15 cm and a weight of 11-15 kg. Its bark is smooth, thin and elastic, of a yellowish- gray color and has a light straw-colored dough with many small holes. The right soft cheese tastes mild, slightly spicy and can be used both as a table cheese as well as cheese for food preparation.

Produced with slightly warmed curds and cow's milk, which comes from a morning and an evening milking, with a milking with natural " creaming " is skimmed. For this type of Asiago, the curd is broken with a so-called spino to reach the size of a grain of rice and is then heated twice (the first time at 40 ° C, the second time at 47 ° C). This coarse cheese is now given by a salt bath in cheese molds to mature over there.

The duration of maturation are rash over three different types of cheeses: Asiago Mezzano (maturation of three to eight months), Asiago Vecchio (maturation of nine to eighteen months), Asiago Stravecchio (maturation of two or more years ). The finished product has a diameter of 30-35 cm, a height of about 10 cm, and weighs it according to the form 8 to 12 kg. The bark is thin but hard and smooth. The Mezzano has a gelbgrauliche color, Vecchio and Stravecchio however, have a slightly bräunlicheren shade. The taste of the three Asiago cheeses varies depending on the duration of maturation: Asiago Mezzano: a compact cheese, but still very soft, with an intense light straw -colored clay, with small to medium sized cheese holes, very tasty but still sweet. The Mezzano is very suitable as a table cheese, often combined with ripe pears. Asiago Vecchio: a slightly harder cheese with large holes. Its flavor is pleasantly strong, slightly sharp and can serve as a wonderful dessert. Asiago Stravecchio: a very hard and therefore granular cheese. He is a rarity for gourmets. A unique taste of the leaves a hint of dark chocolate in the mouth. You can enjoy it with polenta, mushrooms and red wine.

Nutrition Facts

The protein content of the cheese can be compared with that of a piece of meat of the same size varies depending on the fresco (24%) or d Allevo ( 28%). Also, the fat content depends on the type of cheese: Asiago Fresco has 46-48 % fat in dry matter; the Asiago Stagionato 42-44 %. During the production of salt is added, also varies the amount: 1.5 gr/100gr the Asiago Fresco and 2.5 gr/100gr the Asiago Stagionato. The pH is 5.50 to 5.60, thus showing that the Asiago cheese is a " sweet " little cooked cheese, but also plenty of milk enzymes, especially with short maturation contains. The cheese contains other important vitamins and has different caloric values: 382 calories for the Asiago Stagionato, 368 for the Asiago Fresco 100gr per product. The ' Asiago cheese contains important proportions of vitamins A, B, B2 and PP. The calories: 382 calories for the Asiago Stagionato and 368 for the Asiago Fresco 100gr product.

Identification

The cheese is labeled at the Laibrändern with " Asiago ", the DOP ( seal of origin ) logo and a number on the bottom. Each cheese wheel has a certain number that are over the year and place of production information.

Combination with alcohol and Storage

Recommendations include the Asiago Fresco a light white wine or mild rosé as an aperitif is also a dry sparkling wine recommended.

When Asiago recommendation depends on the maturation time: the longer the maturity the more powerful and structured wine should be.

The slice of cheese to be wrapped in foil and stored at a temperature of about 8-9 ° C. The d' Allevo should not be stored too long in the fridge one, while the Stravecchio can also be stored in a cloth at higher temperatures.