Originally, Provolone was a test cheese that was stretched before making Caciocavallo, to check the quality of the stretching. In fact, its name comes from the Italian word “Provola”, which refers to a small test cheese.
A typical cheese from the Po Valley in northern Italy, it is made from cow’s milk and stands out from other stretched-curd cheeses for its remarkable ability to age for a long time without drying out completely.
Although it can be cylindrical, spherical like a melon, or conical like a pear, it comes in two main varieties: mild or sharp.
Both versions have been recognized as PDO with Provolone Valpadana, which can only be produced in certain areas of Lombardy, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, and Trento.
Smoking techniques vary, but the flavor is generally added using liquid smoke. The exterior has a brownish color.
Its distinctive taste makes it ideal for creating delicious appetizers or for a charcuterie and cheese board. Regardless of the type, Provolone can be enjoyed with fresh bread, in a sandwich, on a pizza, or paired with jam and fresh or dried fruit, especially the sharp variety.
The production of this cheese is strictly tied to the Piedmont alpine region in northwestern Italy since it received its designation of origin in 1996.
This cheese received its designation of origin in 1995. The production area for this cooked-curd cheese is located in the province of Sondrio in the Lombardy region, and the raw milk used comes exclusively from farms or dairies within the province.
Produced in the Aosta Valley, near the French and Swiss borders, this semi-firm cheese made from Aosta Valley cow’s milk was recognized as a product with a designation of origin in 1996.
Taleggio has been a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) cheese since 1996. The milk must come exclusively from certain provinces in Lombardy.
This Controlled Designation of Origin (PDO) cheese is made from pasteurized whole cow’s milk sourced exclusively from the mountainous Asiago region, a municipality in the Veneto region of northern Italy, at an altitude of over 600 meters.