TheAsiago PDO represents the essence of the cheese-making tradition of the Eastern Alps, a cheese capable of evolving over the centuries without ever betraying the bond with its original territory. From thePlateau of the Seven Municipalities to global markets, this Protected Designation of Origin excellence stands out for a rigorous control system that protects both historical knowledge and the biodiversity of the pastures. In this guide, GIFT explores the peculiarities of an advanced regulation, capable of meeting modern sustainability needs and firmly countering international counterfeiting phenomena.
Market dynamics and export prospects
In 2024 were produced 1,505,500 forms of Asiago PDO, confirming a substantial production stability. TheFresh Asiago recorded 1,286,000 forms (+0.03% compared to 2023), while theAged Asiago reached 219,500 forms, after the significant increase in 2023 (+21.8%). Market demand remained higher than supply, with stocks generally lower than historic data (Consortium for the Protection of Asiago Cheese, 2026).
On the Italian market, Asiago PDO confirms itself as the Protected Designation of Origin cheese with the best growth in consumption: +8.9% in volume e +6.2% in value in 2024 (source: Circana). In the first three months of 2025, this cheese represents the only Italian PDO dairy product with double-digit growth in value (+11,4%) and an increase in volume of +4,5%, with an increase in production of +5,8% compared to the same period in 2024 (Consorzio Tutela Formaggio Asiago, 2026).
Theexport – although representing a minority share of total production, due to widespread foreign counterfeiting – shows positive dynamics: in February 2025 it recorded a +2,5%. The main destination markets are USA, Switzerland e Germany, while new commercial initiatives are under development in South Korea, Vietnam e Taiwan, through a co-financed promotion project by the EU (Consorzio Tutela Formaggio Asiago, 2026).
According to the ISMEA-Qualivita Report 2025 on the DOP Economy, Asiago DOP production reached 20,227 tons in 2024 (-1.0%) with a production value of 155 million euros (-2.8%), a consumption value of 233 million euros (+5.6%), and an export value of 13 million euros (-3%). Ranking sixth among Italian cheeses with Geographical Indication, after Grana Padano DOP, Parmigiano Reggiano DOP, Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP, Gorgonzola DOP e Pecorino Romano DOP (ISMEA, 2025).
Historical roots: from the ancestor ‘Pegorin’ to modern success
The origins of Asiago date back to the Middle Ages, when on the Plateau of the Seven Municipalities a cheese production initially linked tosheep farming. Historical evidence documents the existence of a cheese called 'pegorin' (from 'pegora', sheep in Venetian dialect), considered the ancestor of the current Asiago. The first document certifying cheese processing on the Plateau dates back to 983 AD (Consorzio Tutela Formaggio Asiago).
With the progressive establishment ofcattle farming between the 14th and 16th centuries, favored by the expansion of alpine pastures and the growing demand of the markets of the Most Serene Republic of Venice, the cheese evolved in its organoleptic characteristics. The transition from sheep's milk to cow's milk led to types that were sweeter, more compact, and better preservable. In the 17th century, Asiago was marketed in the main Venetian markets, gaining notoriety as the 'cheese of the Plateau'. Production progressively extended to the foothill areas, maintaining the name of the territory of origin.
The Twentieth century marked a phase of profound transformation: the spread of modern cheesemaking techniques, the introduction of refrigeration and the birth of the first cooperative social dairies (the first in 1872 at Vigardolo di Molvena) favored qualitative standardization. The events of the first world war they determined the extension of the production area from the mountain zones devastated by bombings towards the foothill and plain areas.
In 1979 the was established Asiago Cheese Protection Consortium, with the aim of protecting the authenticity of the product. The recognition of the PDO at the European level, obtained in 1996, transformed Asiago into a certified brand capable of competing in global markets.
The value of certification: PDO rules and guarantees
The Protected Designation of Origin, recognized in 1996 and regulated by Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 – also recognized within some trade agreements between the European Union and partner countries (e.g. Japan, New Zealand, Mercosur) – protects not only the name but also a production system based on local milk, historical knowledge and strict quality standards, central elements in the premium positioning of Italian cheeses on international markets.
The production specification of the Asiago DOP precisely defines every phase of the supply chain, ensuring authenticity, traceability and quality (Asiago Cheese Protection Consortium, 2024). Compliance verification with the specification is carried out, before the marketing of products, by CSQA Certifications, Italian leader in agri-food certifications based in Thiene (Vicenza), in the heart of the Asiago DOP production area, which guarantees compliance with the specification through systematic checks throughout the supply chain.
Since 2024, the Consortium has also implemented advanced systems of traceability and has obtained the certification Made Green in Italy, becoming the first DOP cheese to certify the entire ‘from grass to fork’ supply chain (Asiago Cheese Protection Consortium, 2026).
Production area
Production is allowed exclusively in specific areas of the provinces of Vicenza, Trento, and partially in the provinces of Padua e Treviso, for a total of 130 municipalities. Thearea of historical origin includes the Plateau of the Seven Municipalities and the nearby mountain areas, characterized by altitudes between 600 and 2,000 meters.
‘In the production area, the climatic and pedological conditions are homogeneous regarding both the level of rainfall and temperature. From a pedological perspective, the soil is essentially calcareous. In all altitude bands of the area, the permanent forage crop, characterized by natural grass and legume species and the cultivation of cereals (wheat, barley, corn). In the mountain altitude band, all non-wooded agricultural land is used for pasture and pasture meadow' (regulation, article 6).
The designation 'mountain product' is reserved for Asiago produced in production areas identified as mountain territory because they are situated at an altitude not less than 600 meters above sea level (regulation, article 3).
Territory and climate: the heart of alpine production
The cow's milk must come exclusively from farms located in the PDO area. Thefeeding of the cows is strictly regulated by the specification where both the categories of permitted fodder and feed and the conditions of use are defined:
- at least 50% of the dry matter feed ration must be produced locally;
- at least 50% of the dry matter of the feed ration must come from forage;
- the use of silage for feeding cows whose milk is intended for Asiago mountain product.
The Milk must be collected within 36 hours from the first milking (48 hours for milk intended for fresh mountain cheese), and must be sent for processing within 48 hours of entering the dairy.
The cheese-making art: quality standards and natural choices
Only permitted ingredients are milk, lactic ferments or starter culture, calf rennet or vegetable coagulant (for versions compatible with the vegetarian diet) ‘and possibly modest quantities of sodium chloride’. With an explicit ban on the use of the additive lysozyme (E1105). The specification distinguishes two main types of cheese:
1) Fresh Asiago (or pressed) PDO: obtained from whole milk fresh, thermized or pasteurized. The milk is coagulated at 35-40°C with bovine rennet or vegetable coagulant. The curd is cut 'at 15/25 minutes after the addition of rennet until the size of a walnut/hazelnut', semi-cooked at 44°C +/- 2°C, placed in cylindrical molds and pressed for a maximum of 12 hours. The minimum aging is 20 days, 30 days for the mountain product, 40 days for Fresh Asiago Reserve(category introduced in 2020). The cheese has a dough of white or slightly straw color, marked and irregular eyes, delicate and pleasant flavor;
2) Aged Asiago (or mature) PDO: produced from partially skimmed milk by natural creaming, fresh or thermized at 57/68°C. The semi-cooking temperature is 47°C +/- 2°C. Salting can be completed dry or in brine. The minimum aging is 90 days from the production date. subjected to prolonged aging. The regulations provide for four categories of aged cheese:
- Medium (4-10 months);
- Old (10-15 months);
- Extra old (over 15 months).
With increasing aging, the dough becomes more compact, crumbly, intense straw color, small to medium-sized eyes, sweet and slightly savory flavor; fragrant after 10 months.
Marking and identification
‘All forms of 'Asiago' cheese are identified by means of numbered and marked casein plates with the appropriate logo which represents a form of cheese cut and missing a wedge; the missing wedge, transformed into a 'A’ stylized, it is partially inserted in the shape. The total height of the logo placed on the cheese forms is 100 mm for Asiago Fresco and 80 mm for Asiago Stagionato.
In the branding hoops, the following is also inserted alphanumeric code of the dairy producer and the name of the designation, repeated several times and 25 mm high for theFresh Asiago and 20 mm for theAged Asiago. All the identifying marks of the PDO ‘Asiago’ (casein plaque and origin mark) must always be visible on the whole form.
Non-cylindrical shapes must be marked with the following identifying marks: casein plaque, alphanumeric code of the producing dairy, constitutive logo of the designation, name of the designation ‘ASIAGO’ repeated several times in sequence, on at least one side of the rind or the top of the form.
The ‘Asiago’ cheese shapes bearing the additional mention ‘mountain product’ are distinguished by the insertion, in the branding hoops, of the words ‘mountain product’. Furthermore, at the end of the minimum aging period, these shapes are further identified by branding (…) applied on the rind’ (specification, article 8).
Uses
TheAsiago Fresco PDO is appreciated as a table cheese and ingredient for fresh dishes, salads, gourmet sandwiches, toast, and short-cooking preparations. Its meltability makes it ideal for pizza, stuffed focaccias, and vegetable gratins.
TheAsiago Stagionato PDO, especially in the Vecchio and Stravecchio versions, it is suitable to be enjoyed on its own, paired with Italian honey, mustards, Preserves or pears, even cooked. Grated, it enriches risottos, stuffed pasta, polenta, and soups.
Wine pairings favor evolved white wines (Soave Classico, Lugana Riserva) for the fresh types, and light or medium-bodied reds (Valpolicella Superiore, Bardolino Classico, Teroldego Rotaliano) for the aged Allevo.
The Consortium has also developed new formats to respond to circular economy needs as well as consumption trends: snacks, cubes, petals, slices, grated and julienne.
Brand integrity: authenticity vs ‘Italian sounding’
TheAsiago PDO is subject to widespread imitations on international markets, especially in North America, in some Central and South American countries and in Australia, where cheeses generically called ‘asiago’ are sold but have no connection to the place of origin and the European production regulations. These imitative products are made in production contexts that have no relation to thealpine ecosystem of the Seven Municipalities Plateau, using milk from intensive lowland farms, industrial cheesemaking technologies and, frequently, preservative additives, stabilizers and even cellulose as an anti-caking agent in grated products.
Such imitations not only radically differ from the organoleptic and nutritional characteristics of authentic Asiago PDO, but also erode the commercial value of the denomination and create confusion among consumers. The phenomenon of the so-called ‘Italian sounding’ in the dairy sector subtracts from the Italian PDO sector an estimated value of billions of euros annually, damaging both certified producers and consumers seeking authenticity and quality (ISMEA, 2025).
For the ‘foodies’ and the international buyers, the recommendation is categorical: always check for the presence of the PDO mark on the packaging and the form, the European Union logo and the traceability code issued by the Asiago Cheese Protection Consortium. Only these elements guarantee the authenticity of the product, compliance with production specifications, absence of unauthorized additives, and full compliance with the quality and food safety standards of the European Union.
The team of GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade) offers consolidated expertise in supporting international buyers, facilitating the connection with certified and structured producers, able to meet the needs of premium and specialty markets.
Conclusions
TheAsiago PDO confirms itself as a benchmark model for the entire European PDO Economy. The ability to combine a millenary history with a modern management of a supply chain whose main protagonists are mainly small and medium-sized enterprises - ranging from the protection of alpine production to the opening towards new Asian markets - establishes its role as a leading figure in quality gastronomy. Protecting the authenticity of this cheese means preserving a heritage that is not only food-related but also social and environmental, guaranteeing the global consumer an intact, natural product with inimitable value.
Dario Dongo
References
- Consortium for the Protection of Asiago Cheese. (2026). https://asiagocheese.it
- Consortium for the Protection of Asiago Cheese. (2025). Production specification of Asiago PDO cheese (2024 update). https://asiagocheese.it/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/files_pagina_051020201135_2019.11.27_Disciplinare_AsiagoDOP-1.pdf
- Ismea & Qualivita Foundation. (2025). ISMEA-Qualivita 2025 report on Italian agri-food and wine productions PDO, PGI and STG (23rd ed.). Qualivita Editions. https://www.ismea.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeAttachment.php/L/IT/D/1%252Fe%252F8%252FD.fefdd2e7c08546544955/P/BLOB%3AID%3D13512/E/pdf?mode=download
- Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 April 2024 on geographical indications for wine, spirit drinks and agricultural products, as well as traditional specialties guaranteed and optional quality terms for agricultural products http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1143/oj
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT – Food Times) and Égalité.
