Provolone Valpadana PDO - Spicy

The production area of Provolone Valpadana PDO in Emilia-Romagna is in the province of Piacenza.

The milk is added with graft whey prepared in the same processing environment. It is then coagulated with the addition of calf rennet for the production of Provolone Valpadana PDO Dolce and with lamb and/or kid rennet for the Spicy type. Once the curd has reached sufficient consistency, it is broken down mechanically, keeping the mass in agitation to facilitate the purging. Then the temperature is increased in the boiler and, at the end, the mass is transferred to special tables for acidification and drainage. The dough is then heated and then spun and then shaped manually or using special molds, depending on the shape you want to obtain. Once moulded, the dough is salted in brine for a period varying from a few hours to 30 days, depending on the weight of the shape. The minimum seasoning varies from 10 days for the smaller forms, to 30 days for the medium ones, to a minimum of 90 days for the larger ones and for the Spicy type. The cheese can be smoked.

The origins of Provolone Valpadana PDO date back to the Unification of Italy, when the cheese culture of pasta filate, originally from southern Italy, spread in the Po Valley. The use of the name "provolone" is made official for the first time in the Vocabulary of agriculture of Canevazzi-Mancini of 1871, where it is defined as a large "provola" (typical southern cheese of fresh pasta filata).

Characteristics

The Provolone Valpadana PDO can have the shape of salami, conical trunk, melon or pear possibly topped with spherical head. The rind is thin and smooth, pale golden yellow, sometimes tending to brown yellow. The paste is compact, with any light holes and straw yellow color. The taste is delicate for the sweet type, more decided for the spicy one.

Pairings

Provolone Valpadana PDO is an excellent table cheese, but it is also used as an ingredient for the preparation of different dishes. The Dolce type is ideal cut into cubes to fill salads or for the preparation of appetizers; it is particularly tasty combined with pears, nuts and bread; alone seasoned with salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil and aromatic herbs. The Spicy type is delicious accompanied with fresh butter curls. Provolone is an ingredient in many recipes, from savory pies to soufflés, from fish to meat.

Milk, salt, rennet.

Crust preservative: E203, E235.

It is advisable to store Provolone Valpadana PDO in a cool environment or in the less cold compartment of the refrigerator at a temperature of 4 ºC.