Vicenza’s rare mountain cheese protected by Slow Food

About

Asiago is one of Italy’s best known cheese names, and its story begins on the Asiago Plateau in Vicenza, a place National Geographic has featured among the Veneto destinations worth knowing for its cheese heritage. Stravecchio is the rarest expression of that tradition. Slow Food describes it as a very rare product, made in small quantities from mountain milk and aged for at least 18 months, until the texture becomes firm and crumbly and the flavour develops notes of toasted nuts and spice. Only a limited number of wheels are kept long enough to reach this stage, which makes Asiago Stravecchio one of the most distinctive foods to look for in the Vicenza mountains.

READ THE STORY + FIND WHERE TO TASTE IT ↓

The Asiago Plateau is the high mountain part of northern Vicenza where Asiago cheese was born. More than 70 malghe, summer dairy farms, still take cattle onto the mountain pastures each year, and from June to September milk is processed directly in the area into cheese, butter and ricotta. Slow Food restricts its Asiago Stravecchio Presidium to the historic communities of the plateau, all in the province of Vicenza.

The problem begins after the cheese has been made.

Ordinary Asiago DOP can be sold much earlier. Stravecchio means extra mature, and the official Asiago DOP rules use the term for cheese aged beyond 15 months. The Slow Food Presidium goes further, requiring its mountain Stravecchio to mature for at least 18 months in natural conditions. Many malgari prefer to sell their wheels before then, so fewer survive long enough to become Stravecchio.

Slow Food calls it explicitly a very rare product. The Presidium also controls what happens before ageing. Cattle must graze, while silage, industrial feed and genetically modified feed are excluded. The preferred production period is the summer grazing season, from June to September.

The reward is a cheese far removed from the mild Asiago, the long wait changes both texture and flavour.

The paste becomes compact, granular and crumbly. Slow Food records aromas of cut grass, ripe fruit and moss, followed by toasted hazelnut and grilled bread as the flavour develops. The Consortium describes Stravecchio as intense, persistent and produced only in limited quantities.

Only a handful of Presidium producers remain. Several still work from malghe where you can have lunch during the summer season and buy cheese directly.

WHERE TO FIND ASIAGO STRAVECCHIO

FOR LUNCH AT 1,625 METRES

Malga Larici di Sotto

Località Larici, Asiago, Vicenza
Phone +39 347 2382892

One of the official Slow Food Presidium producers. The Frigo family produces Asiago on the mountain and runs summer food service from June to September. You can also buy cheese and other dairy products directly at the malga.

FOR A FARM LUNCH AND DIRECT CHEESE SHOPPING

Malga Verde, Fattoria Cortese

Via Malga Verde, Località Val Lastaro, Lusiana Conco, Vicenza
Phone +39 0424 700332

Slow Food lists Fattoria Cortese among the Stravecchio Presidium producers. Malga Verde produces Asiago DOP Prodotto della Montagna and operates a summer agriturismo, dairy and farm shop. Lunch is served during the summer grazing season.

FOR THE "GIRO DELLE MALGHE"

Malga Serona

Giro delle Malghe di Caltrano, Caltrano, Vicenza
Phone +39 340 7871186

Davide Nicoli is one of the Slow Food Presidium producers. Malga Serona is at 1,267 metres on Caltrano’s Giro delle Malghe and offers food service as well as cheese and other farm products.

FOR CHEESE AND A COLD MOUNTAIN LUNCH

Malga Dosso di Sotto

Cima Larici, Località Val Formica, Asiago, Vicenza
Phone +39 335 5457176

Run by Ugo and Raffaele Marini, also listed among the Slow Food Presidium producers. The malga is at 1,647 metres and offers Asiago DOP, other cheeses, cured meats and simple cold plates.