Selection of Provolone Valpadana DOP - Sweet and Spicy

The production area of Provolone Valpadana DOP in Emilia-Romagna includes the province of Piacenza.

The milk is then mixed with whey starter culture prepared in the same processing room. Coagulation is carried out with the addition of calf rennet for the production of Provolone Valpadana DOP Dolce, and lamb and/or goat rennet for the Piccante variety. Once the curd reaches a sufficient consistency, it is broken mechanically while stirring to facilitate drainage. The temperature in the boiler is then increased, and finally, the curd is transferred to special tables for acidification and drainage. The curd is then heated, stretched, and shaped by hand or using special molds, depending on the desired shape. Once shaped, the curd is salted in brine for a period ranging from a few hours to 30 days, depending on the weight of the cheese. The minimum maturation period varies from 10 days for the smaller cheeses, to 30 days for the medium-sized ones, and to a minimum of 90 days for the larger ones and for the Piccante variety. It is possible to smoke the cheese.

The origins of Provolone Valpadana DOP date back to the unification of Italy, when the culture of stretched-curd cheese, originally from southern Italy, spread to the Po Valley. The name "provolone" was first officially used in the Canevazzi-Mancini Agricultural Dictionary of 1871, where it was defined as a large provola (a typical fresh stretched-curd cheese from southern Italy).

Characteristics

Provolone Valpadana DOP can be salami-shaped, truncated cone-shaped, melon-shaped, or pear-shaped, sometimes topped with a spherical head. The rind is thin and smooth, pale golden yellow in color, sometimes tending toward yellow-brown. The interior is firm, occasionally with small holes, and straw-yellow in color. The mild variety has a delicate flavor, while the sharp variety has a more pronounced flavor.

Pairings

Provolone Valpadana DOP is an excellent table cheese, but it is also used as an ingredient in a variety of dishes. The mild version is ideal diced for salads or as an appetizer; it's particularly tasty paired with pears, walnuts, and bread; or on its own, seasoned with salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil, and herbs. The spicy version is delicious served with curls of fresh butter. Provolone lends itself to many recipes, from savory pies to soufflés, and from fish to meat.

Milk, salt, rennet.

Preservative in crust: E203, E235.

It is best to store Provolone Valpadana DOP in a cool place or in the least cold compartment of the refrigerator at a temperature of 4°C.