Alternative Spellings: Montasio Stravecchio, Montasio Stagionato
Description: Montasio is a creamery, unpasteurised cow’s milk cheese originating from the Friuli Venezia Giulia and Veneto provinces of Italy. Awarded (PDO) protected designation of origin in 1986, this cheese is sold fresh, middle and aged depending on the aging time of 60 days up to 10 months. It was originally a monastery cheese but today it is produced only in a specific region of Italy following age-old traditional methods. Montasio Vecchio aged over 12 months is dry and granular with bold, sharp taste. The paste is much crumblier and the characteristically “small” eyes are likely to disappear. Its straw yellow pate color pate turns yellowish while the pale brown rind becomes hard with aging. The flavor is now pleasantly sharp, working excellently on pasta or rustic soups. It also complements corn polenta or classy meat dishes.