cheese
Provolone
Aged stretched-curd cheese; the second leg of slice-shop pizza cheese.
- Origin
- Italy
- Moisture
- medium
About
Provolone is a stretched-curd cow's-milk cheese aged anywhere from 2 months (dolce, mild) to over 12 months (piccante, sharp). For NY-style pizza, a young provolone shredded and mixed 25–30% into low-moisture mozzarella adds depth and a slight tang that straight LMM can't reach — the slice-shop pizza-cheese blend. Use dolce, not piccante, unless you want a sharp pie. Buy a deli wedge and shred yourself.
History
Provolone migrated from southern Italy (Basilicata, Campania) to the Po Valley in the 19th century, where Auricchio and Galbani industrialized it. The slice-shop blend with mozzarella is an American invention from the postwar era.
Substitutes
- Low-moisture mozzarella (LMM) — loses the tang; bump the salt