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How to recognise and store Piave DOP

Recognising it

The origin of the product is certified by the name “Piave” branded vertically across the heel of the cheese, alternating the direction of the writing.

Each cheese must also bear the production batch code identifying the day, month and year of production. The batch code must be imprinted on the heel or on one of the faces.
A label indicating the name of the product, the type and the name of the producer is applied to the other face.

Cutting

Less mature cheeses, such as Piave DOP Fresco, require the use of a knife with a lowered blade so that the least possible surface area adheres to the paste.

For Piave DOP Mezzano, a knife with a 30 cm long rigid blade is recommended. Slicing a hard, compact cheese such as Piave DOP Vecchio, Vecchio Selezione Oro and Riserva risks damaging the granular structure. This is why it is preferable to break the paste with a “teardrop” knife, allowing the pieces to break off naturally along the fracture. Find out how to prepare a slivered form of Piave cheese.

Storage

When the cheese is cut, it comes into contact with oxygen and this can lead to an alteration of the product’s characteristics over time, resulting in oxidation and a change in the colour of the cheese. This is why it is necessary to pay careful attention to how the cheese is stored. 

The factors to consider are temperature, humidity and ventilation. The use of a refrigerator is practically indispensable nowadays, but if you have a cool and sufficiently ventilated cellar, this would be the perfect place to store a semi-hard or hard cheese such as Piave DOP Mezzano, Vecchio, Vecchio Selezione Oro and Riserva, wrapped in a cotton or linen cloth. The ideal conditions are a temperature of 10°C and 70% humidity. 

In the case of a younger cheese such as Piave DOP Fresco, it is preferable to store the cheese in the refrigerator, keeping it in its original packaging if possible. In conclusion, remember to take the cheeses out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before serving, to allow it to breathe and reach the optimum temperature for tasting.