What is an Asiago Bagel?

We love cheesy bread. And what’s a better flavor to pair with the chewy, dense texture of a bagel than the sharp bite of asiago? Asiago is here to say: the best cheese for the job.

What is asiago?

Asiago is a firm cow’s milk cheese hailing from Italy. Though we’ve heard it said many ways, it’s pronounced ah-see-AH-go! It’s called that because it originally comes from the Asiago plateau in Northeastern Italy. The traditional process involves pressing coagulated milk, wrapping it, brining it, and aging it. Depending on what milk is used and how long it’s left to age, it’s either “asiago pressato” or “asiago d’allevo.” In today’s globalized world, cheese made in this style is produced everywhere—but true asiago comes from this region, and bears a special “DOP” stamp to authenticate it.

The Asiago Plateau in Italy. Source: italia.it

Cheese meets bagel

The asiago bagel is a great example of marriage of Italian and Jewish culinary tradition. This cheese came to America with Italian immigrants around the turn of the century, and by 1920 was as popular as parmesan. It’s only natural it bumped into the Jewish deli along the way! Scott Davis is credited with inventing the asiago bagel, which remains a best-selling flavor across the country. It makes a lot of sense—what makes us American is our love of cheese, so it was a hit!

Asiago cut from the wheel. Source: Cheese Culture Mag

How does asiago taste?

Asiago isn’t mellow. It brings a savory and piquant taste to the table, especially when it’s matured for a decent amount of time. When it’s fresh-grated and sprinkled on bagels before baking, it produces an aroma that will stop you in your tracks. If you’ve never tried it before but you’re a fan of the sharpness of cheddar and parmesan, you’ll surely enjoy asiago.

The “Rocky’s Deli” sandwich on Asiago at Gotham Bagels Gold Coast.

What do I put on an asiago bagel?

If you want to double-down on cheese, the distinct taste of asiago cheese gives a huge boost to cream cheese spread. It makes for an extra-satisfying bacon, egg, and cheddar as well. To be quite honest, it goes well with any breakfast sandwich that you want to elevate to “indulgent.” You can’t really go wrong with iconic asiago.