Asiago

Northeastern Italy is a straightforward place. The locals are hardworking and prosperous, and for centuries have struck just the right balance between tradition and the modern.

It is the sort of region you’d expect to produce something like Asiago, a flavorful, even tempered semihard cheese that’s neither boastful nor bland.

Asiago is made in small vats of cow’s milk that settles for six to 12 hours, then skimmed. Like all cheeses, its texture varies with age.

When young, sold as fresco, it’s nearly as soft as refrigerated butter. It gets harder and more interesting as it ripens. In its vecchio variety (aged nine months to a year), Asiago acquires a somewhat dry taste, with mild hints of lemon-butter and nuts. To me, the older the better.

Befitting such a moderate temperament, it’s quite versatile. If you can find the Friuli-made prosciutto di San Daniele (which is more subtle than the Parma type), serve it with that. Spicy sausages are good, too. It’s also terrific grated–try it with pasta or risotto as an adjunct or substitution for Parmigiano, or over polenta.

PAIRINGS: Light- to medium-bodied red wines go best with this cheese, particularly when they’re fruity. Dolcetto and nebbiolo are perfect. So are the better labels of Valpolicella, the classic grape from the Veneto, Asiago’s home region. It’s also a part of Italy where quite a bit of beer is consumed, so fruity Italian lagers, like Moretti, make nice accompaniments.