Speck Alto Adige IGP & Asiago DOP - Authenticity

Speck Alto Adige IGP is a lightly smoked raw ham, produced in the heart of Europe and celebrated throughout the continent for its balanced taste and traditional heritage. With a taste slightly more mild than northern smoked hams yet stronger and less sweet than ham produced in southern European regions, Speck Alto Adige IGP offers a distinct flavor created from its unique and lengthy aging process.

The delicate aroma and defining taste of Speck Alto Adige IGP is the result of the merging cultures of Europe's northern Germanic states and southern Mediterranean regions. A combination of the smoking methods of the north and the salting techniques of the south, Speck Alto Adige IGP serves as a bridge between the two cultures. Originally a farming practice among families of the Tyrolean region, Speck Alto Adige IGP was created in an effort to preserve meat for farmers and their families. Today Speck Alto Adige IGP has grown into a gourmet ham appreciated by many European cultures for its quality and the traditional method by which it is produced.

As one of the oldest and most recognized producers of cheese in Europe, Asiago is renowned for it's orthodox methods of production and attention to detail. The name Asiago is derived from the small town in Italy in which the cheese was originally produced. The town of Asiago and its 7,000 inhabitants populate a rolling plain at the base of the mountains.

Authentic Asiago DOP cheese is valued for its history and time honored manufacturing process formed during Asiago's establishment in the year 1000. Although it had been produced for several centuries, it was not until the early 1500's that Asiago became famous as an important market for cheese. Since that time the production of Asiago cheese has expanded from the Asiago plateau to the upper Po Valley and the mountains of Trento. Today, four provinces encompass Asiago's zone of production. Acknowledged as officially recognized zones by Italian law, the provinces of Vicenza and Trento and parts of Treviso and Padua provide the land for the collection of milk and the production of cheese.