Asiago Pressato
June 9, 2009
Country and region of origin: Italy, Veneto
Milk: Pasteurized Cow’s Milk
Age: 2 months
Rind: natural, inedible
Creamery: Agriform
Creamery website: Agriform Website
Properties: This is not, as is commonly thought, the younger version of Asiago d’Allevo. Asiago Pressato is also a DOP cheese, though its DOP criteria is quite different from that of Asiago d’Allevo. Asiago Pressato is, by contrast, invariably a mass-market cheese. It is creamy, semi-soft and relatively mild in flavor.
Uses: A good sandwich cheese and a fine melter, it’s also a decent snacking cheese.
Wine Pairings: It would be pretty good with a nice, crisp white or a light, fruit red.
Production Notes: Asiago Pressato is an “industrial” cheese, called “pressato” because it is pressed to speed up ripening. It is higher in fat than Asiago d’Allevo and also milder and more rubbery. This is not to say that it doesn’t have its uses, simply that it is a less regarded cheese among those who care about such things.
