Provolone Cheese
Known as an Italian cheese, provolone originated in southern Italy where it is still produced today. However, major production of the cheese today is in northern Italy and the United States.
Provolone, like mozzarella, is a plastic curd cheese. The curd in mixed with heated whey and kneaded to a smooth, semi-soft consistency.
Provolone today is a whole-milk cow cheese with a smooth skin produced mainly in the Po River Valley regions of Lombardia and Veneto Italy. It is produced in different forms: shaped like large salami up to 30 cm in diameter and 90 cm long; in a watermelon shape; in a bottle shape; or also in a large pear shape with the characteristic round knob for hanging. The average weight of provolone is 5 kg.
Provolone is aged a minimum of four months and is a semi-hard cheese. The taste of provolone can vary greatly: Provolone Piccante has a very sharp taste while Provolone Dolce has a very mild taste. The distinctive taste in Provolone Piccante is produced with lipase originating from the goat. The Dolce version uses calf’s lipase instead.
Provolone is perfect on sandwiches and aged provolone is great for grating in cooking applications.
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