Description
It is a hard, aged, stretched-curd cheese made from whole cow's milk, with a naturally fermented acidity, ranging from off-white to ivory in color. Its piquant flavor derives primarily from the enzymatic-lipolytic effects of the natural enzymes in the milk and whey starter cultures, as well as those added with rennet, which, for the piquant varieties, is usually goat or lamb rennet paste. The name "Provolone" appears to derive from the word "prova" or "provatura," referring to the characteristic stretching test of the curd, which was, and still is, practiced to test the curd's ability to stretch and shape.