Montasio Cheese Substitute: The Complete Guide to Frico and the 7 Best Swaps

The best Montasio cheese substitute is Asiago for its closest flavor profile, Fontina for frico caldo and creamy melted dishes, and Gruyère for frico croccante and any recipe where you want a firm, nutty cheese that browns beautifully.

Montasio was the cheese that genuinely surprised me. I ordered it from an Italian specialty shop to make frico for the first time and expected something forgettable, a functional regional cheese that would just do its job. What I got was a cheese that melted into the pan like liquid gold and came out tasting like nothing else: nutty, buttery, complex, with just enough age to give it real character.

If you are searching for Montasio because you want to make frico and cannot find it, this is the guide I wish I had. I am covering what Montasio is, what frico actually is (because most people searching for Montasio are really searching for frico), the best substitutes mapped to each use, and where to buy the real thing in the US.

Key Takeaways

• Asiago is the most accessible and culinarily accurate Montasio substitute, since both are northeastern Italian PDO cheeses with similar nutty, age-variable flavor profiles
• Fontina is the best choice for frico caldo (the potato-onion version) because of its exceptional melt
• Gruyère is the best choice for frico croccante (the crispy lace version) because it browns evenly without burning
• Montasio comes in four ages: Fresco (mild, 2-4 months), Mezzano (nutty, 5-10 months), Stagionato (sharp, 10+ months), and Stravecchio (intense, 18+ months). The substitute you pick should match the age the recipe calls for
• Frico is a 15th-century Friulian dish, not a modern chef invention; it is genuinely one of the simplest and most impressive things you can make with good cheese
• Montasio DOP is available on Amazon, at Whole Foods, and at Eataly in the US
• For frico, always grate fresh. Pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking agents that prevent it from crisping properly

What Is Montasio Cheese?

Montasio is a PDO cow’s-milk cheese from Friuli-Venezia Giulia and parts of the Veneto in northeastern Italy, named after the Montasio plateau in the Carnic Alps. Its origins trace back to around 1200, when Benedictine monks at the Abbey of Moggio Udinese refined the cheesemaking techniques of local alpine shepherds. The Italian government granted it DOC status in 1986 and the EU confirmed PDO protection in 1996.

The cheese is made from raw or thermized (never pasteurized) milk from two daily milkings. Wheels weigh 5-9 kg and are stamped with “Montasio” repeated obliquely on the heel. Each wheel is made through a full supply chain of roughly 1,300 certified farms, 43 creameries, and 17 aging facilities operating within the defined zone.

What makes Montasio interesting is that it is really four different cheeses depending on age, and knowing which age you need determines which substitute will actually work.

The Four Ages of Montasio

Montasio Fresco (2-4 months): Smooth, elastic, milky, and delicate with lactic notes of fresh cream and yogurt. This is the melting and table cheese. Young and approachable.

Montasio Mezzano (5-10 months): More yellow, fuller, savory, and nutty with notes of melted butter and dried hay. The most versatile age for both eating and cooking.

Montasio Stagionato (10+ months): Firm, granular, nutty, aromatic, and pleasantly piquant. This is a grating cheese for pasta, soup, and risotto.

Montasio Stravecchio (18+ months): Firm, grainy, sharp, and complex with notes of dried fruit and leather. An intense finishing cheese.

What Is Frico?

Frico is the iconic dish of Friuli-Venezia Giulia and the most famous use of Montasio by far. It was born in the mountains of Carnia as cucina povera (peasant food), a way to use up cheese rinds and scraps in the pan.

The first written record appears in the mid-15th-century De Arte Coquinaria by Maestro Martino da Como, who called it “caso in patellecte” (cheese in little pans). Potatoes and onions were added in later centuries, turning a simple cheese bite into a full meal.

Most people who search “montasio cheese substitute” are looking for this dish specifically. So let me cover both versions before we get to substitutes.

Frico Croccante (Crispy Frico)

Frico croccante is thin, lacy, brittle cheese crisps made by melting grated cheese in a pan or oven until golden and crunchy. The result looks like a delicate lace wafer: crispy at the edges, golden brown throughout, intensely cheesy in flavor.

These are often shaped into cups or cones while still warm to hold polenta or fillings, or crumbled over soups and salads. The key is using a hard, low-moisture cheese that melts before it burns and forms a cohesive, hold-together sheet.

What a cheese needs for frico croccante: low moisture, high fat, enough protein to form structure. Always grate fresh. Pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking cellulose that prevents proper crisping.

Frico Caldo (Potato and Onion Frico)

Frico caldo is the hearty version: a potato, onion, and Montasio cake that is crispy and golden outside, soft and gooey inside. Think cheesy rösti or a very rich potato pancake. It is served hot, classically with polenta, and is genuinely one of the most satisfying cold-weather dishes I have made.

Traditional recipes often use a blend of two ages of Montasio: younger for melt, older for flavor and structure. The cheese needs to melt into and bind the potatoes without seizing or turning grainy.

What a cheese needs for frico caldo: excellent melt, enough fat to stay creamy, and enough flavor to carry the dish.

7 Best Montasio Cheese Substitutes

1. Asiago

Asiago is the most natural substitute for Montasio because both are northeastern Italian PDO cheeses from the same alpine tradition. Young Asiago Pressato mirrors Montasio Fresco: mild, milky, and semi-soft. Aged Asiago d’Allevo mirrors aged Montasio: nutty, firm, and increasingly sharp.

Asiago is slightly tangier and sharper than Montasio at equivalent ages, but the flavor family is close enough that most people will not taste the difference in a cooked dish. Use it at a 1:1 ratio in every Montasio application including frico.

BelGioioso Asiago Cheese Wedge 5oz is the most reliably available Asiago on Amazon, aged over 5 months with a sweet, nutty flavor and a hint of sharpness. It is the #1 ranked Asiago on Amazon and the one I keep on hand.

Best for: All Montasio applications. Frico caldo, frico croccante, grating, cheese boards, pasta, risotto

2. Fontina

Fontina is the best substitute specifically for frico caldo. It is a semi-soft Italian alpine cheese from Valle d’Aosta with a buttery, earthy flavor and one of the most luxurious, clean melts of any cheese I have worked with. It melts into the potatoes without any graininess and produces the gooey interior texture that makes frico caldo so satisfying.

The main trade-off is that Fontina is too soft and moist for crispy frico croccante. For the potato cake version, it is genuinely excellent.

Italian Fontina Cheese sold by the pound is the authentic Valle d’Aosta version from igourmet, confirmed active on Amazon.

Best for: Frico caldo, creamy pasta, risotto, gratins, any dish where Montasio Fresco is called for

3. Gruyère

Gruyère is the best substitute for frico croccante. It is a Swiss alpine cheese with a firm body, nutty-sweet-fruity flavor, and a reliable melt and browning behavior that produces beautiful golden crisps. It holds together in the pan without burning and delivers more complexity than plain Asiago at the same age.

A few home cooks note that Gruyère can turn chewy rather than fully brittle in croccante. Watch the heat and pull it slightly before you think it is done. The residual heat finishes the crisp.

Kaltbach 12-Month Cave-Aged Gruyère 14oz is the premium version with the crystalline texture that makes exceptional frico. Genuine Swiss Gruyère AOP, cave-aged, with the nutty depth that matches aged Montasio.

Best for: Frico croccante, gratins, cheese boards, any dish calling for aged Montasio Mezzano or Stagionato

4. Aged Gouda

Aged Gouda develops a crystalline, caramel-nutty character over time that is genuinely close to Montasio Stagionato’s flavor profile. The natural calcium crystals give it the same satisfying crunch, the butterscotch notes align with aged Montasio’s dried fruit character, and it grates cleanly.

It is saltier and sweeter than aged Montasio, so use slightly less. For grating over pasta and risotto where you would use Stagionato or Stravecchio, aged Gouda is a reliable and easy-to-find swap.

Dietz & Watson Aged Gouda Cheese Wedge 6oz is an 18-month aged version that delivers the crystalline crunch and deep caramel flavor needed for this substitution.

Best for: Grating applications, cheese boards, anywhere aged Montasio Stagionato or Stravecchio is called for

5. Latteria

Latteria is technically the single closest substitute for Montasio, another Friulian dairy cheese, semi-hard, creamy and delicate, made in the same northeastern Italian tradition. Traditional frico is often made with Latteria or Montasio interchangeably in the region.

The challenge is finding it in the US. If you are near a well-stocked Italian specialty shop or Eataly, ask for it. If it is available, use it at a 1:1 ratio in every Montasio application and expect a very close result.

Best for: Everything. It is the most structurally accurate Montasio substitute

6. Emmental / Swiss

Emmental is a Swiss hard cheese with the characteristic holes, a mild, slightly sweet, nutty flavor, and good melt properties. It does not have Montasio’s complexity or depth, but it melts well for frico caldo and browns acceptably for croccante.

It is one of the most accessible substitutes at any grocery store and performs reliably when the other options are not available. Use it in a blend with Asiago or Gruyère for better flavor.

Best for: Frico caldo, everyday cooking, budget-friendly substitution

7. Mild Cheddar

Mild Cheddar is the least traditional substitute but the most universally available. It melts decently for frico caldo and the flavor (mild, slightly tangy, buttery) covers the basic role Montasio plays in a dish even if it does not replicate the alpine character.

Do not use sharp Cheddar for frico; the high acidity and lower fat content can cause it to seize. Medium or mild, freshly grated, works better.

Best for: Frico caldo when nothing else is available, everyday cooking

Making Frico With Substitutes: The Practical Guide

For frico caldo with a substitute, my recommended blend is two-thirds young Asiago plus one-third Fontina. The Asiago provides flavor structure and light crisping; the Fontina keeps everything creamy and bound. Slice the onions thin, cook them slowly in butter until soft and golden, add cubed potato that has been par-cooked and roughly smashed, press everything into the pan, add the cheese in layers, and cook low and slow until a crust forms before flipping.

For frico croccante with a substitute, use Gruyère or aged Asiago grated fresh on the coarse side of a box grater. Heat a non-stick pan over medium, add a thin even layer of cheese (no fat needed), and let it bubble and turn golden without touching it. The edges will curl slightly; that is when you flip it or remove it from heat and shape it while warm.

The most important technical rule: never use pre-shredded cheese for either frico style. The anti-caking coating on pre-shredded cheese prevents proper browning and cohesion. Freshly grated only.

Where to Buy Montasio Cheese in the US

Amazon is the most convenient nationwide option. Alma Gourmet Italian Montasio DOP 3.5lb is a confirmed active listing, a 3.5-pound quarter wheel from a specialist Italian importer and the proper format for making frico at home or entertaining.

Whole Foods carries Montasio in the specialty cheese department at many locations. One shopper reported finding it at $19.99/lb, on sale for $12.99/lb. Call ahead to confirm stock.

Eataly is the most reliable dedicated source. Their US locations in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, and Las Vegas carry Montasio and Eataly’s own website features a Frico Friulano recipe using it.

Italian specialty shops and cheesemongers with a serious Italian cheese selection will almost always have it. If they carry Asiago DOP and Piave, they likely have Montasio too.

For exploring the broader world of Italian cheeses that Montasio belongs to, the igourmet Italian Cheese Sampler with 8 regional cheeses is an excellent starting point. It ships expedited in insulated packaging and covers four distinct Italian regions.

Storing Montasio and Its Substitutes

Montasio is a hard alpine cheese with relatively low moisture that keeps well, but it still needs proper storage once cut. Plastic wrap traps gas and develops off-flavors on the rind.

Formaticum cheese storage bags are the professional solution for Montasio, Asiago, Gruyère, and aged Gouda. The breathable paper maintains the right humidity and lets the cheese continue its gentle maturation without ammonia buildup. For a board with Montasio alongside cured meats, polenta crisps, and honey, the ChefSofi charcuterie board set has four knives and ceramic bowls for accompaniments.

FAQ