Provolone del monaco DOP

Provolone del Monaco comes from the hilly areas of the Sorrento Peninsula, from the heights of the Lattari mountains and from the municipality of Agerola. The term "Provolone" originates from the techniques of testing the curd and the ability to stretch the dough, while the name "del Monaco": according to some, from the farms dependent on the Benedictine abbeys or the Camaldolese monasteries; according to others, from the cloak that wrapped the Sorrento cheesemaker to protect him from the cold during the transport of the cheeses by sea.

Ingredients: raw cow's MILK , calf and kid rennet, salt.

Store in the fridge (+4° C)

Available in vacuum-packed slices weighing approximately 450g

Provolone del Monaco is a cheese obtained from the milk of the Agerolese cow . It is likely that the original crosses of the Bruna and Podolica breeds with the Jersey led to the Agerolese breed. However, at the beginning of the 1950s other breeds were introduced which, if they increased the quantity, not always the quality of the product. In more recent times, with the growing orientation towards quality, there has been a revaluation of the native breeds also deriving from other crosses carried out in the Sorrento area. This is why the milk of the Agerolese breed contributes just 20% in the production of Provolone del Monaco.

Provolone del Monaco has been produced since around 1700 , when some shepherds who lived in Vomero, then an agricultural area near Naples, had to move due to urban expansion. Some families decided to move to the Lattari Mountains and began to exploit the large pastures in the area, producing cheese, in particular caciocavallo. The main market for the sale of cheese was Naples and the shepherds, covered in heavy and cumbersome cloaks, were nicknamed "monks" and their caciocavalli, sought after and appreciated in the Neapolitan square, became for everyone "the monk's provoloni". Since 2010 , Provolone del Monaco has obtained the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) at European level with EU Regulation 121/2010 .

"Provolone del Monaco" is obtained by heating the milk to obtain a more cooked curd compared to the production of traditional caciocavallo. Maturation must occur slowly, without preservatives or ferments. Subsequently we move on to shaping, giving a particular shape compared to the usual one, of a slightly elongated melon without a head. The maturing, after salting and drying it, can also take place in caves according to the production specifications, starting from a minimum of 6 months.

According to the specifications, Provolone del Monaco DOP can be produced in the territories of the following municipalities of the metropolitan city of Naples:

Agerola, Casola di Napoli, Castellammare di Stabia, Gragnano, Lettere, Massa Lubrense, Meta, Piano di Sorrento, Pimonte, Sant'Agnello, Sorrento, Santa Maria la Carità, Vico Equense.

Organoleptic characteristics

- Appearance and Consistency: compact straw yellow paste with few holes and an elongated shape.

- Taste: intense, stronger and spicier, if seasoned.

Nutritional values ​​per 100g of product: