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Is there any source for authentic Provolone Cheese that can ship to a remote location safely?
Mass produced cheap Provolone with almost no flavor is available in my area, but it is not satisfying and no store here will cooperate in my quest.
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First of all let’s see a little history behind the Provolone from the "viewitaly.blogspot.com" site.
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Provolone Valpadana DOP cheese is known throughout the world. There are many imitations and the origins are contested. Throughout Europe and some parts of North America Provolone cheese is used on pizza instead of Mozzarella. While Mozzarella is a fresh cheese, best if consumed within days of production, Provolone is an aged cheese. Before reaching the store it ages for 3 to 12 months and has a considerable shelf life. The method of production erroneously leads many to think that Provolone is a Southern Italian cheese but the truth is far more complex and 1000 years of history play their role.
By the 1800s cheese makers from all over Italy moved their businesses to the Valpadana region, including cheese makers from Campania. The cheese makers from Campania used a different process to make their cheese. It included pulling the milk paste instead of pressing. The production process is the reason Mozzarella and Provolone are considered string cheeses. When the cheeses melt they hold together creating long strings that become thinner and thinner instead of breaking off in chunks.
In the 1800s, the southern Italian cheese artisans were able to convince their employers to knead and pull the cheese instead of using the traditional method. Thus, Provolone was born. It is native to the Valpadana but it ancestors are surely southern Italian.
Do not be fooled, Provolone Valdapana is only produced in the plains from Milan to Udine. There is also a Provolone cheese made in the areas around Naples called the “Provolone del Monaco.” If it comes from anywhere else it is a fake. Even when produced in these regions there is a difference between the industrial crap and true Provolone. Provolone will be in its traditional form. The traditional shapes are large Salami, Pear or Melon, truncated cone (for sizes above 100 lbs) and the wine bottle. Your Deli should have the Pear/Melon shaped Provolone.
There are also two basic types of Provolone: mild and spicy. The Mild Provolone is considered sweeter and will not age more than 3 months. The Spicy will age at least 3 months and will have a “bit of a bite”. Either version may be smoked, indicated as “Affumicata”.
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The DOP acronym in Italian means: Denominazione di Origine Protetta; in English means: Designation of Protected Origin. A protection for the original product given to the Provolone Valdapana Consortium and approved by the European Union on June 21st, 1996.
Here is the PDF list of Provolone authorized prepackagers in Italy. As this list is written in Italian, the only thing you should know are three items: Company Name, Address and Contact (Phone, Fax and e-Mail). Any of those companies should be a genuine supplier of Provolone from the Provolone Valdapana Consortium. Contact any of them.
http://www.consorziotutelaprovolone.it/documenti/Preconfezionatori%20Autorizzati.pdf
Genuine Provolone Valdapana should always come with this trademark seal or else is a fake:
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