provolone, cow’s-milk cheese from southern Italy. Provolone, like mozzarella, is a plastic curd cheese; the curd is mixed with heated whey and kneaded to a smooth, semisoft consistency, often molded into fanciful shapes such as pigs, fruits, or sausages. The brown, oily rind of provolone is wrapped in cords, which impress grooves in the rind, and hung to ripen. They are often seen on display in Italian food shops. The creamy yellow interior of provolone is smooth and pliable.
The cheese comes in two types: the mild and delicately flavoured dolce and the longer-aged, sharper piccante. Provolone is also commonly smoked to impart a light, distinctive aroma and flavour.
Provolone is versatile, being used and served in a variety of ways. It commonly is served as a table cheese and is frequently used in sandwiches. It is also used in baked pastas dishes and in casseroles.