Madonie Provola

Slightly more squashed, pear-shaped and bulging than the Provola made in the Nebrodi, with a short neck and rounded head, this cheese is made within one of Italy’s most biodiversity-rich areas, the Madonie mountains. A typical full-fat cow’s milk, stretched-curd cheese, it is shaped like a rounded flask and has a smooth, thin, straw-yellow rind. The cheeses are hung up in pairs along a pole and aged for at least 10 to 15 days in cool, airy rooms. A slightly smoked version is produced using wood from local trees, and another version is aged for at least three or four months. A small amount of fattier sheep’s or goat’s milk is added to the cow’s milk to make the aged version.

Season

Madonie Provola is made from March to June, and must be aged at least three months.