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The Trader's "Asiago" from Italy was at first incorrectly branded -- an Asiago fresco in taste but not in origin, as required under European labeling regulations. Later, in 2007, it was labeled "Italian Mountain Cheese."

In early 2008 this product vanished from the shelves of Trader Joe's. Later in the year another product called "Sliced Asiago Cheese" appeared, sold in an 8-oz standardized plastic wrap. The lattter product is not specified as imported and therefore, under U.S. regulations, must be USA-domestic.

Unlike "Bel Giorno" Asiago, actually made in Wisconsin, Trader Joe's 2008 "Sliced Asiago Cheese" has the real ingredients and the real taste of an Asiago fresco. Most critical is raw milk, not pasteurized. The fermentation cultures and the cheese extraction are a match for the Italian original, or the taste would not be the same.

Those who have a taste for the Italian version can find it at Dean and DeLuca or, hit or miss, at some other Italian grocers. Across the U.S., Whole Foods carries an aged Asiago, with a much sharper flavor and a much higher price.