Packaged Provolone

Provolone is an Italian cheese made from cow's milk produced in the North of Italy, in the regions of Lombardy, Piedmont and Veneto.
It comes in two kinds of flavors: strong (or spicy) Provolone and mild Provolone. Strong Provolone is matured for over 16 months while Mild Provolone is matured for “only” 4 months. It is a cheese that stands out for its taste but above all for its shape. We can indeed find Provolone in the form of a sausage or in a cluster.

The history of Provolone

The birth of Provolone remains quite nebulous, but it is clear that it was already among the cheeses known and consumed by the Ancient Romans.
Provolone is so named after the term "prova", which means "round cheese" in the Campanian dialect. Originally from Mezzogiorno, in southern Italy, Provolone is currently made mainly in northern Italy, in Lombardy, Italy's "milk tank". It obtained its Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) in 1993, then its Appellation d'Origine Protégée (PDO) in 1996, certifying that the production of Provolone is strictly supervised, using specific methods to guarantee its quality. Its uniformity and absence of holes are the result of meticulous work during manufacturing.

On each Provolone, we see the impact of the network of plant fiber cords in which Provolone is stored and aged. Provolone is in fact traditionally hung by Italian cheese makers using a string in front of their kiosk.

One of the characteristics of Provolone is the wide variety of shapes and sizes in which it is offered on the market. This is characteristic of spun pasta, which is scalded in order to increase its plasticity, before it is molded by hand. This is why Provolone is known by many different names, reminiscent of other products whose shape it follows: the cylindrical variants are thus called salami or pancettoni, while the spherical variants are called meloni. Other names rather refer to the size of the cheese.

Indeed, Provolone comes in pieces of different sizes. There are very large ones: "the provolissimi" which can weigh 40 kg and more. Provolones molded in the shape of sausages weighing 200 to 300 kg are called "provoloncini" or "gigantone".

In South America, a similar cheese, "Provoleta", is eaten as an accompaniment to grilled meat. In the United States, Provolone is also produced, but only in its mild form. Provolone strong is exclusively produced in Italy.

Provolone is very rich in calcium and protein, thus promoting good bone growth. It also contains a lot of sodium.

The golden yellow rind of Provolone can be waxed. The mild Provolone has rather lactic aromas while the spicy Provolone has smokier aromas. Indeed, its flavor becomes more pronounced with age and its supple and creamy texture. The two cheeses complement each other perfectly, each of which can serve as an accompaniment to specific dishes or can be eaten on its own.
Provolone

Did you know ?
It is found in many culinary preparations and its appearance even dates from the Roman Empire!
Whether spicy or mild, Provolone remains one of the favorite cheeses of Italians!

Origin of Provolone

Provolone originates from Mezzogiorno, a region located in southern Italy.

The production of Provolone

Provolone comes in two main variations depending on its flavor type. It can be sweet, tipo dolce, prepared with calf rennet, or spicy, tipo piccante, obtained by using kid rennet, which gives the curd a more pronounced taste. Provolone has a maturation period ranging from 2 months to over a year, depending on the taste desired and has a fat content on dry matter of 45%.

Provolone Recipe Ideas

Macaroni frittata with zucchini and Provolone

Provolone 100g
Macaroni 100g
6 eggs

Involtini with Provolone

150g of Provolonet
300g cherry tomatoes
4 thin veal cutlets

Provolone pie

120g of Provolone
1 shortcrust pastry
1 large egg