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Provolone Valpadana PDO:
between mild and strong.
Provolone Valpadana PDO is a spun paste cheese, made in two distinct types from cow’s milk: Mild and Strong.
Provolone Valpadana PDO is a typical cheese of northern Italy and has existed at least since the second half of the nineteenth century, coinciding with the unification of Italy. Its origins are the result of the happy encounter between two different traditions: the dairy culture of “stretched curd” in the south of the peninsula and the dairy calling of the Po Valley.
This crossbreeding of knowledge and techniques has given rise to a unique cheese, now produced in some provinces of Lombardy, Veneto, Emilia Romagna and Trentino Alto-Adige.
PROVOLONE VALPADANA PDO
Mild
Delicious on its own or with bread, Provolone Valpadana PDO Mild is the extra touch in different preparations, from appetizers to main courses. The combinations and the recipes to which it can be added are almost infinite.
Provolone Valpadana PDO Mild stands out from the strong type because the cow’s milk is coagulated with calf rennet, and the ageing is shorter (from 10 to 90 days). The end result is a tasty and good-looking delicacy: a straw-coloured hard and thin rind envelops a lighter and more compact heart, with a uniquely mild flavour.
PROVOLONE VALPADANA PDO
Strong
Strong Provolone Valpadana PDO is characterized by its strong and decisive flavour. Its great personality makes it perfect to give character to several types of dishes and to enjoy it in combination with full-bodied wines.
The production of Provolone Valpadana PDO Strong differs from that of the Mild type for two reasons: the milk is coagulated with kid and/or lamb rennet and the ageing is much longer (sometimes over 12 months). From this painstaking and careful processing, we get that intense taste that makes it famous around the world.
Consorzio Tutela Provolone Valpadana
The Consorzio Tutela Provolone Valpadana is a voluntary organisation established in 1975. Today it is based in Cremona, in the heart of the production area of Provolone Valpadana PDO.
Consisting of milk producers, processors and seasoners, the Consortium’s mission is to protect the marked identity of this cheese from a production and promotional point of view.
For consumers, the Consortium is a guarantee that defends against food fraud and counterfeiting.
Thanks to constant vigilance, the Consortium in fact ensures for the market an excellence over time and product quality consistency.
More specifically, the Consorzio Tutela Provolone Valpadana is responsible for controlling the various production stages of Provolone Valpadana PDO (on behalf of the Ministry of Agricultural and Forestry Policies), to assist members from a technical-scientific point of view and to develop markets through promotional and marketing actions.
For the benefit of the members, the Consortium has instead the task of protecting the supply chain from any form of unfair competition.
With regard to the promotion of Provolone Valpadana PDO, the Consortium adopts initiatives to reinforce its image on a national and international level, informs the public of the quality of the product through the media and conducts market studies to identify potential new consumers.
