Provolone cheese has an interesting history that unites the South and North of the Peninsula. A characteristic uncommon to typical Italian cheeses, after the Unification of Italy some southern shepherds were able to move freely towards the Po River, attracted by the large number of farms. The cheese-making culture of Vesuvius thus merged with the tradition of the Po Valley, allowing a greater spread of stretched-curd cheeses, like Provolone, throughout the country. Today production is concentrated mainly in the northern part.
There are two PDOs that testify to this exchange between different territories and traditions. Provolone Valpadana, produced between the provinces of Piacenza and Trento, particularly in the Lombard plain in an area including the provinces of Brescia, Mantua, Lodi, and Cremona. Then there is Provolone del Monaco, made since 1700 from the milk of a specific breed of cow, the Agerolese, in the Lattari Mountains near Sorrento.
Provolone cheese has become part of everyday Italian language: a “provolone” is someone who tries to flirt with a girl, courting and attempting to seduce her, often just for fun. A latin lover, but lightly.
