Editing Provolone

{{Short description|Italian cheese}}
{{Infobox cheese
| name = Provolone
| image = Provolone watermelon shape.jpg
| image_size = 
| caption = ''Provolone piccante'' ({{literally|spicy provolone}})
| othernames = 
| country = [[Italy]]
| region = 
| town = 
| source = [[Cattle|Cow]]
| pasteurised = Depends on cow variety
| texture = [[Types of cheese#Semi-hard cheese|Semi-hard]]
| fat = 
| protein = 
| dimensions = 
| weight = 
| aging = At least 4 months
| certification = ''Provolone Valpadana'':<br />[[Protected designation of origin|PDO]]: 21 June 1996<ref name="DOOR2">{{cite web | url=http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/quality/door/registeredName.html;jsessionid=2SL0R9JYYQN5DgDZWbcJPkzbpJLwglL8wn19qbD8x0DTFR91MJFh!582864668?denominationId=579 | title=Provolone Valpadana Denomination Information | publisher=European Commission | access-date=August 3, 2013}}</ref> <BR>''Provolone del Monaco'':<BR>PDO: 11 February 2010<ref name="DOOR1">{{cite web | url=http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/quality/door/browse.html?open&chkDenomination=1792&fuseaction=view | title=Provolone del Monaco Denomination Information | publisher=European Commission | access-date=August 3, 2013}}</ref>
}}

'''Provolone''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|p|r|əʊ|v|ə|ˈ|l|əʊ|n|ei|,_|ˌ|p|r|əʊ|v|ə|ˈ|l|əʊ|n|i|,_|ˌ|p|r|əʊ|v|ə|ˈ|l|əʊ|n}},<ref>{{cite encyclopedia| encyclopedia= American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language| edition= Fifth| title= Provolone | access-date= June 3, 2019| via= thefreedictionary.com| url= https://www.thefreedictionary.com/provolone}}</ref> {{IPA|it|provoˈloːne|lang}}) is an [[Italian cuisine|Italian]] [[Types of cheese#Semi-hard cheese|semi-hard cheese]] made from [[Cattle|cow]]'s milk. It is an aged ''[[pasta filata]]'' ('stretched-curd') [[cheese]] originating in the [[Campania]] region,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.agricoltura.regione.campania.it/Tipici/provolone_monaco-new.html|title=Prodotti Tipici della Campania - provolone del monaco|trans-title=Traditional products of Campania - provolone del monaco|lang=it|website=regione.campania.it|access-date=24 November 2021|archive-date=3 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211203121838/http://www.agricoltura.regione.campania.it/tipici/provolone_monaco-new.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> near [[Mount Vesuvius|Vesuvius]], where it is still produced in [[pear]], sausage, or cone shapes {{cvt|10|to|15|cm|in|0}} long. Provolone-type cheeses are also produced in other countries. The most important provolone production region today{{When|date=April 2024}} is northwestern Italy and, in particular, the city of [[Cremona]]. Provolone, ''provola'', and ''[[provoleta]]'' are versions of the same basic cheese. Some versions of provolone are [[Smoking (cooking)|smoked]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=3XU0zCdpu54C&pg=PT166 ''Great Chicken Dishes''<!-- Bot generated title -->]. p. 165.</ref>

==History and varieties==
The term ''provolone'' (meaning 'large ''provola''<nowiki/>') appeared around the end of the 19th century, when it started to be manufactured in the [[Southern Italy|southern regions of Italy]] and assumed its current large size. The smaller sized variant is called ''provola'' ({{IPA|it|ˈprɔːvola|lang}}) and comes in plain and [[Smoking (cooking)|smoked]] (''affumicata'') varieties.

Provolone is a semi-hard cheese with taste varying greatly from ''provolone piccante'' (sharp, piquant), aged for a minimum of four months and with a very sharp taste, to ''provolone dolce'' (sweet) with a very mild taste. In ''provolone piccante'', the distinctive piquant taste is produced with [[lipase]] (enzyme) derived from goat. The ''dolce'' version uses calf's lipase instead.

Both ''provolone Valpadana'' and ''provolone del Monaco'' (meaning 'monk's provolone'; from the [[Naples]] area of Italy) have received [[protected designation of origin]] (PDO) from the European Union, meaning no country other than Italy may legally produce a cheese called that.

In [[Brazil]], [[Argentina]], [[Bolivia]], and [[Uruguay]] small discs of locally produced [[Pasta filata|pulled-curd]] provolone of {{convert|10|to|15|cm|abbr=on|0}} in diameter and {{convert|1|to|2|cm|in|abbr=on|frac=4}} in height are sometimes grilled until partially melted and eaten as a starter, often seasoned with herbs. The cheese when served this way is often called ''[[provoleta]]'' in Spanish.

Provolone makes up 2.5% of the cheese produced in the U.S. with {{convert|370|e6lb|t|order=flip|abbr=off}} of provolone made in 2023.<ref>[https://quickstats.nass.usda.gov/results/92FF62DE-D70C-3380-9F90-B2A26590B390 Quickstats], National Agricultural Statistics Service, United States Department of Agriculture, accessed March 12, 2024</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Italy|Food}}
* [[List of Italian cheeses]]
* [[List of stretch-curd cheeses]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Italian cheeses}}

[[Category:Italian cheeses]]
[[Category:Cuisine of Campania]]
[[Category:Cow's-milk cheeses]]
[[Category:Italian products with protected designation of origin]]
[[Category:Cheeses with designation of origin protected in the European Union]]
[[Category:Smoked cheeses]]
[[Category:Stretched-curd cheeses]]