If you're thinking of embarking on a food tour of Veneto, you can't misssampling some of the region's most delicious cheeses. And if Asiago is all you're thinking about, well, good news: there are many other rare and high-quality cheeses waiting for you.
Those who love to travel know that the best way to truly get to know a region is to savor its typical products, those handcrafted using traditional techniques and boasting unique flavors impossible to replicate industrially. Thus, the Veneto cheesemaking tradition becomes an excuse to explore the region through food, which is never just food: it's love, it's culture, it's history.
Venetian cheesemaking expertise is rich and ancient, dating back to the times of the Romans and the monks who passed down their cheesemaking techniques. We're talking about cheeses known throughout Italy and around the world that proudly bear the DOP certification.
For your next weekend in Veneto, why not plan a visit to the places dedicated to Veneto cheese? Many of these cheeses are also celebrated in their places of origin, such as the prestigious Caseus Italy , which annually celebrates large dairies and small mountain dairy producers. The 2025 edition was held in the splendid setting of Villa Contarini in Piazzola sul Brenta, in the province of Padua.
DOP cheeses from Veneto
It's impossible to talk about Veneto cheeses without mentioning the celebrated Asiago DOP, undoubtedly one of the region's most famous and ancient cheeses. Originating from the Asiago plateau, it comes on the market in two versions: Asiago Fresco, aged for 20 days and with a soft consistency, and Asiago Stagionato, aged for at least 40 days, during which it develops its crumbly consistency.
There are also Asiago mezzani and stravecchio, a DOP that is also a Slow Food Presidium. Asiago is produced using traditional methods and has a history spanning thousands of years. You can try the hard Allevo, made with skimmed milk, or the sweeter version made with whole milk, whose flavor varies depending on the aging process.
The plateau produces not only Asiago but also Kummel flavored with cumin seeds, and Tosela, a fresh cheese made with milk freshly milked from grazing cows, perfect for special preparations and dishes.
Another Slow Food Presidium and DOP cheese is Monte Veronese, another mountain cheese typical of the Lessini Mountains, Monte Baldo , and the Veronese pre-Alpine hills, made with whole or semi-skimmed milk. A particularly prized Monte Veronese is produced in the Alpine pastures, with a deep color and complex aromas. It's an absolute must-try if you're staying in Verona.
Montasio , with a distinctive straw-yellow rind tending toward brown. It's ideal with dried fruit and pears, and pairs well with excellent Veneto wines.
Not just DOP: typical Veneto cheeses not to be missed
In the Belluno area, some special cheeses with an intense and unique flavour are produced, in particular the Bastardo del Grappa, which comes from the pastures of Monte Grappa, and is produced in the Belluno, Treviso and Vicenza areas: from raw cow's milk that is skimmed and mixed with fresh milk, a semi-fat, short-aged cheese is born, with a semi-grainy and medium-intense texture… to be enjoyed cooked or on its own.
Morlacco del Grappa is another interesting Slow Food Presidium: it was shepherds who settled on Grappa during the Venetian Republic who brought this cheese, made from whole cow's milk, from the Balkan region of Morlacchia. A traditional peasant cheese, eaten with boiled potatoes and homemade bread, it has an authentic flavor, produced today as it did then.
Finally, don't miss a taste of Piave, a semi-hard cheese made with cow's milk from the Belluno valleys and available at various ages. A pale rind that turns darker in the Selezione Oro and Vecchio Riserva versions, this cheese is best enjoyed with polenta and sauerkraut and, if mature, can be grated.
More than just cheese: discover the Veneto region
Now you have another excuse to visit Veneto: its cheeses, like its food and wine delicacies, await you in this surprising region, steeped in tradition, history, and innovation. Stay in one of our independent apartments to explore your culinary journeys and enjoy the truest and most authentic version of Veneto: short-term rentals. You'll feel part of the same history that has made this region one of the richest and most unique in Italy.
So what to do?! Book one of our apartments in Veneto now.
