Smoked
Smoked Provolone Valpadana DOP: a perfect combination of aroma and flavour
Smoked Provolone Valpadana is one of the most loved smoked cheeses for its particular combination of aroma and flavour, ideal for giving an extra touch to many recipes: tasty appetizers, tasty first and appetizing second courses beyond that pizzas!
After the smoking process, it presents itself with the characteristic browned, thin and smooth rind.
It can be smoked either Spicy Provolone Valpadana that the one in the sweet type.
The shapes and the weight
The Provolone Valpadana DOP it occurs in many shapes: and dimensions.
For smoking, the smaller shapes are usually chosen, around a kilo in weight, such as the Fiaschetta or the Provoletta.
Among the wheels of the right weight for this smoked cheese, the smallest are usually those in the sweet smoked Provolone Valpadana version, while the slightly larger ones are those of the spicy smoked Provolone Valpadana.
This is due to maturation period which for the spicy version is longer.
The pairings
Smoked Provolone Valpadana DOP, being a quality cheese, gives its best when eaten raw, perhaps with good homemade bread. Also excellent as an ingredient in cooking or pure, seared on the grill.
A quick and tasty recipe with this excellent smoked cheese: cut the Provolone Valpadana into one centimeter slices and place them in the freezer for about ten minutes, lightly oil the non-stick pan or griddle and when it is hot, sear for about a minute, a minute and a half on each side of the slices. Serve stringy with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil!
Smoked Provolone Valpadana pairs perfectly with slightly aromatic white wines such as Gewurztraminer or Riesling.
The smoking process
The Provolone Valpadana wheels of the right size and weight are then treated with the smoking process, a flavoring of foods through the so-called "liquid smoke".
Liquid smoke is an extract of the aromatic components of smoke generated naturally and which can be added by nebulization, showering, immersion or injection to give the food its characteristic flavor.
Smoking can be carried out cold, semi-hot and hot, based on the specific technique used, the temperature of the smoke used and the duration of the process.
This smoked cheese will therefore present itself with the characteristic yellow-brown burnished external appearance due to the formation of a thin film on the surface as a result of a process of polymerization and incorporation of the smoke particles.
