Provolone del Monaco
DOP aged stretched-curd cheese
Provolone del Monaco DOP
Provolone del Monaco is one of the most representative cheeses of the Campanian dairy tradition: a stretched-curd cow's milk cheese with Protected Designation of Origin (DOP), aged and with an intense and complex aromatic profile, the expression of centuries of artisan knowledge.
It has the characteristic elongated pear shape, with a smooth or slightly rough rind in golden straw-yellow, which darkens as ageing progresses. The interior paste, pale yellow in colour, is compact and elastic in the first months, becoming more crumbly and assertive in flavour with extended ageing. The aroma is intense, with notes of butter, hay and spices, while the flavour is savoury and slightly spicy — a gustatory complexity that makes it ideal both as a table cheese and paired with full-bodied wines.
Minimum ageing is 6 months, but the most prized versions reach 12–24 months, developing even richer and more persistent aromas.
Provolone del Monaco is made with: fresh cow's milk (from certified livestock farms in the Campania region), natural lactic bacteria, rennet and salt.
After the pasta filata phase — carried out by hand in hot water using the traditional technique — the form is brined and hung for ageing in controlled environments. During the months of maturation, enzymes and lactic bacteria work slowly to develop the aromatic complexity and characteristic structure of this great Campanian cheese.
- Shape: elongated pear shape, with tying rope
- Exterior: straw-yellow, more golden with ageing
- Paste: pale yellow, compact and elastic; more crumbly with long ageing
- Aroma: intense, with notes of butter, hay and spices
- Flavour: savoury, slightly spicy; more complex with ageing
- Ageing: from 6 months (minimum) to 24 months
- Designation: DOP