Montasio cheese gets its name from the Montasio massif, in Friuli. Centuries ago (reliable information goes back to 1700), it was produced on its pastures, with unique characteristics deriving from the happy combination of three fundamental and very particular factors: the hay, milk and air of those mountains. Today this production is wide-spread in the Friuli plain, in the valleys and hills of the Belluno and Treviso areas and in the Venetian plain between the rivers Piave and Brenta, strictly preserving the original characteristics of the product.. The characteristics of Montasio change with the maturing time. Its taste, which is mild and delicate when it is fresh, becomes stronger and full of flavour as it matures. Its texture changes as the months go by, from white and compact with the characteristic even ocellation and smooth and flexible rind when the cheese is fresh, it becomes grainy and crumbly as the rind dries and darkens and the cheese matures. It is a cheese that is always in shape whatever its age: it is good when it is fresh after maturing for only two months, it is good when it is mild after maturing from five to ten months and it is good as a mature cheese after maturing for more than ten months. It is produced in perfect shapes, neither too big nor too small, suitable for the family table and for restaurants. It is excellent for all ages and because it is so easy to digest, is especially suitable for children and elderly people. For Montasio cheese, shape and substance are one and the same thing.. This cheese has a high and balanced nutritional content: 36% water, 32-34% fat and 24-26% protein.