PROVOLONE DEL MONACO PDO

$13.49

A story with distant origins.

The origin of the name Provolone del Monaco is due to the clothing of the cheese makers who disembarked at dawn in the port of Naples. The men would transport their load of Provolone cheeses from various locations around the Sorrento Peninsula and, to protect themselves from the cold and damp, they used to wrap themselves in a sackcloth cloak, which was similar to the habit worn by monks, the Italian word for monk being monaco. Once they landed in Naples, the people and the lads who worked at the market began calling them monks (or monaci) and from then on their cheese was called Provolone del Monaco (the monk’s cheese)”.

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Description

Provolone del Monaco PDO is a matured, semi-hard, stretched curd cheese, made in the Sorrento Peninsula – Monti Lattari area, exclusively with raw milk. The specificity of Provolone del Monaco PDO is the result of a combination of factors typical of the production area, particularly the sensory characteristics of the milk produced by cattle farmed in the area, the cheese-making process, which still reflects artisan traditions, and the particular microclimate that characterises the processing and maturing environments.

The origin of the name Provolone del Monaco is due to the clothing of the cheese makers who disembarked at dawn in the port of Naples. The men would transport their load of Provolone cheeses from various locations around the Sorrento Peninsula and, to protect themselves from the cold and damp, they used to wrap themselves in a sackcloth cloak, which was similar to the habit worn by monks, the Italian word for monk being monaco. Once they landed in Naples, the people and the lads who worked at the market began calling them monks (or monaci) and from then on their cheese was called Provolone del Monaco (the monk’s cheese).

The specificity of Provolone del Monaco PDO stems from the uniqueness of the raw material, which is expertly transformed by the skilled hands of the cheese makers who jealously guard the secrets of the processing methods of the past. A considerable aspect of this process is the particular microclimate found in the processing and maturing environments. It is precisely the combination of these farming and processing characteristics, set in such a varied environment, that contributes to the product’s incomparable aroma and flavour.

Characteristics

Provolone del Monaco PDO is a matured, semi-hard, stretched curd cheese, made in the Sorrento Peninsula – Monti Lattari area, exclusively with raw milk. The specificity of Provolone del Monaco PDO is the result of a combination of factors typical of the production area, particularly the sensory characteristics of the milk produced by cattle farmed in the area, the cheese-making process, which still reflects artisan traditions, and the particular microclimate that characterises the processing and maturing environments. Recognition of the PDO now makes it possible to recover and develop the entire zootechnical system of the production area, based particularly on the breeding of the Agerolese TGA (native genetic type) cattle.

The territory

The geographical area where the cattle are reared and where Provolone del Monaco PDO is produced and matured covers the province of Naples, specifically the Sorrento Peninsula and the Monti Lattari area. It is delimited by the entire territories of the following municipalities in the province 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.

How it is made

The technique used to make this cheese is very old and time consuming: raw milk from each milking session, or two successive milking sessions at the most, is processed and mixed with kid rennet. The coagulation of the raw milk produces the curd, which is broken down to the size of small grains using a wooden tool called a sassa, after which the next steps are blanching and stretching. Stretching is quite complex, so much so that, in some cases, it takes two people to twist the curd. When the paste has reached the desired consistency it is placed in moulds, which can be pear-shaped or cylinder-shaped. The resulting cheeses are tied in pairs and hung on special frames, where they are left to mature, first at room temperature to dry for ten to twenty days and then in a room at a temperature of between 8°C and 15°C for a minimum of six months. This is followed by brining, drying and maturing, which is carried out in cellars over a period of between four and 18 months. After nine months the product achieves a level of excellence, with the skin tending to darken from month to month until it reaches the characteristic colour of ripe hazelnuts.

The breed of cattle

Among the endangered breeds of cattle native to Southern Italy, the best known is definitely the Agerolese from the Campania region. Provolone del Monaco DOP. It became famous thanks to the most illustrious dairy product made from its milk: Provolone del Monaco PDO. The origin of cattle breeding in the Lattari Mountains and the Sorrento Peninsula dates back to 264 B.C. At that time, the Picentines, the first inhabitants of the area, were deported from Le Marche by the victorious Romans. The Picentines, moving their herds and their homes from their territory of origin, transformed the space they reclaimed from the woods into cultivable land and began farming and breeding domestic animals. Above all, cattle with an aptitude for producing milk, to the point that, due to the exceptional production and quality of the milk, the mountains were named the “Lactaria Montes”.

Consortium for the Protection of Provolone del Monaco Pdo

The Consortium for the Protection of “Provolone del Monaco PDO” was established in 2006 with the participation of breeders, cheese makers and ripeners in the area of the Lattari Mountains and the Sorrento Peninsula. It embraces 13 municipalities in the Province of Naples. It develops, promotes and protects the product and its designation.

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