Maturation of Provolone Valpadana P.D.O.
The maturation of Provolone Valpadana P.D.O. requires skill and patience: here is how it is done
Two fundamental ingredients are needed to season Provolone Valpadana: time and patience. Only in this way, in fact, the most famous spun paste cheese in Italy can obtain that exclusive taste that makes it a dish with a unique taste.
Among the cheeses, Provolone Valpadana can boast two completely different versions, the mild and the strong one. This not only in the final result, but also in the manufacturing process itself.
Even before spinning, in fact, the milk is combined with two versions of rennet:
– Veal in the case of the mild Provolone Valpadana;
– Kid and/or lamb in the case for strong Provolone Valpadana.
SALAMI
MELON-PEAR
TRUNCATED-CONE
FLASK
The spinning is the same for all the shapes, while the process is different at the moment of seasoning.
The importance of seasoning
The maturing of the cheese is a process during which the food is placed “on hold”, at the end of all other stages of production, in an environment with particular climatic conditions. During this time, which can vary greatly depending on the cheese in question, all the characteristics and peculiarities are exalted.
In this specific case, before the maturation of the Provolone Valpadana cheese, it is also tied, an ancient tradition still perpetrated by master cheesemakers.
Mild or strong?
The cheeses then pass through the maturing warehouses for a period varying from a few days to several months.
The mild Provolone Valpadana has a minimum aging time of 10 days, whilst the strong type is aged for a period that may even last for more than 12 months. In this case, we will have the Aged Strong Provolone Valpadana P.O.D..
In both cases, however, it is only this waiting time that allows the bacteria to work and recreate the ideal conditions to best appreciate this Italian excellence.
What happens next?
Once the seasoning is over, Provolone Valpadana is ready to receive its guarantee mark (the cockade), issued by the Consortium and disciplined by the European regulations, and to enter the sales network, thus reaching the tables of Italians and all over the world and making every meal special.