An Overview of Provolone Cheese

Provolone Cheese has simple ingredients like most Italian cheese. But it has a variety of tastes like milky, sweet, tangy, or spicy. It is a rich content of calcium, protein, and sodium. This quite expensive cheese is gluten-free and made of pasteurized cow milk. Also, it has no added fillers or preservatives. Its color is pale yellow or white and is available in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.

It has to be kept in mind that traditional provolone is not suitable for vegetarians, as it contains calf rennet. Always try to check the label before using it. 

What is Provolone Cheese?

Provolone Cheese is an Italian stretched-curd and semi-firm cheese with a pleasant flavor and aroma. It is made from pasteurized cow’s milk. In the beginning, it was first made in southern Italy. Now it is made in other parts of Italy and also in the United States. It is light-colored, smooth, cuts without crumbling, and has an agreeable flavor.

Provolone is available in various shapes and sizes with a distinguishing name. 

The taste of provolone can range from mild and sweet. It may be sharp or pungent depending upon the final moisture and amount of aging time.

Background of Provolone Cheese:

Cheesemakers in Southern Italy began to make a larger variant of a popular cheese called “provola”.  Most probably, it was the incident of the end of the nineteenth century. Then it was resulted as provolone which translates to “large provola”. Provolone Valpadna and Provolone del Monaco both ensure quality standards. 

A similar to provolone is provoleta. It is also popular in South America.The provolone dolc is a type of aged provolone.Provolone is typically made in this form in the United States.

Making procedure of Provolone Cheese:

Cow milk of pure form is required to make the provolone cheese. It is made of first allowing warm cow’s milk to curdle. Curdle is a process that breaks the curds into small pieces and separates them from the whey. After curdling it has to be submerged in a bath of hot water. Then wait till they float to the top. Then it will remove the curds from the water. Now Mix them well and press until they develop a stretchy, wiry texture. After that soak in a brine before wrapping it in a wax or plastic shell. Then keep it for four months to one year to aging in a basement before getting ready for the shop.

The process of using provolone cheese:

The provolone is an Italian cheese. This delicious cheese is commonly served on sandwiches. It can be used as a table cheese placed out at room temperature. It can be enjoyed with crusty bread or olives. Thin slices of cured meats can be used also with a full glass of red wine.

Provolone cheese at a glance:

Item Name	Provolone cheese
Made from	Pasteurized cow milk
Cheese Family	Pasta Filata
Color	Pale yellow or creamy white
Food quality	Semi-firm and toothsome
Origin (Country name)	The high content of calcium, protein, and sodium
Region of origin	Po Valley, Southern Italy
Type of cheese	Semi firm and toothsome
Different Types	`Mullins Cheese, Inc., Grande Cheese Company, Agropur Inc., Organic Valley, Foremost Farms USA cooperative, etc.
Appearance	Any sort of shape and sizes
Texture	Grainy and open
Flavor	Milky, mild, sweet or tangy, spicy
Aroma	Pleasant
Some Manufacturer’s Name	`Mullins Cheese, Inc., Grande cheese company, Agropur Inc., Organic Valley, Foremost Farms USA cooperative, etc.
Marketed by	Deli Source, LLC, All-Star Ltd, Jim’s Cheese, LLC, Red Apple Cheese, Roth Cheese, etc.

What is provolone dolce and provolone piccante?

• Provolone Dolce: 

This type of provolone cheese is made from calf’s nennet. It is aged for 2-3 months. It is a sweet taste and buttery flavor. It is of pale yellow or white color. 

•  Provolone Piccante:

Provolone piccante is another type of provolone cheese.It is typically made from goat or lamb’s rennet. It is aged from four months to one year. Then it gets a sharp, tangy flavor from the enzymes during its production. 

Comparison: Provolone vs Mozzarella cheese

Topics	Provolone cheese	Mozzarella cheese
Type of cheese	Semi hard	Semi-soft
Melting time	More than Mozzarella	Less than provolone
Basic Ingredients	Cow’s milk	Buffalo milk
Aging process	About four months to one year	It does not undergo an aging process
Semi-hard	Fresh Calf’s rennet	By ripening the milk
Shelf life	It can last 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator	Once opened, it should be eaten within 3-5 days (Max.)
Flavor	Much sharper, bold, and tangier flavor	The basic requirement for production
Uses	Best on sandwiches and served on a meat and cheese board	Pizza and creamy pasta sauce

Nutritional information about Provolone Cheese:

The nutrition information of provolone per 100 grams is shown in the table given below—

Ingredients	Value
Calories	287 calories
Absolute Fat	26-gram
Soak Fat	16-gram
Poly saturated Fat	750 mg
Monosaturated Fat	690 mg
Sodium	750 mg
Carbohydrate	385 mg
Potassium	133 mg
Sugar	580 mg
Protein	25-gram
Vitamins and minerals	Calcium and Vitamin A
Cholesterol	54 mg
Fiber	00-gram

Other health benefits of provolone:

•  Build the strong bones:

There are significant quantities of calcium, phosphorous, and protein in the provolone. All these nutrients are responsible for building strong bones.

• Eye health:

Provolone contains Vitamin A which is very vital for healthy vision. This vitamin from cheese gets absorbed into the body as retinol. This supports the retinol for its normal functioning of eye membranes and the cornea.

• Heart protection:

To protect against the sodium negative effect, provolone consumption is much better than consuming high-sodium foods. It has been proved that better blood flow will occur after consuming dairy cheese.

• Reduce more complexities in the human body:

Vitamin B12 is necessary for the proper functioning of the central nervous system and healthy red blood cell formations. Provolone cheese is also considered a source of vitamin B12.

The lack of vitamin B12 can cause low blood cell count, weight loss, anemia, and numbness. Hence consuming cheese products can eliminate the said illness.

• Body balance:

Provolone is a source of protein also. Its biggest health benefit is that it can slow down the absorption of carbohydrates.

Conclusions:

There are so many types of cheese available in the market. However, provolone cheese is more popular due to its texture, odor, and nutritional value. It has a basic difference with mozzarella cheese. The reputation/ popularity of this semi-hard Italian cheese has reached a remarkable place. Let us enjoy cold or melted provolone which provides suitable flavours and textures throughout its uses.

Frequently Asked Questions: