Provola dei Nebrodi

Provola dei Nebrodi is a pasta filata cow's milk cheese produced in the Nebrodi mountains of Sicily in five varieties: fresh, semi-aged, aged, Sfoglia, and con limone verde. It is made exclusively from raw whole milk, using kid or lamb paste rennet and traditional wooden equipment, without commercial starter cultures.

About this designation

Registered as a PDO under file number PDO-IT-02394, with EU protection dating from 2 March 2018 and eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000016176, Provola dei Nebrodi is a pasta filata cheese produced from raw whole cow's milk. The specification recognises five varieties: fresca, semi-stagionata, stagionata, Sfoglia, and con limone verde. Fresh cheese weighs between 1 and 2 kg; the remaining varieties weigh between 2 and 10 kg. Length ranges from 15 to 35 cm and diameter from 12 to 25 cm. The fresh variety has a ripening period of less than 30 days; the semi-stagionata between 30 and 120 days; the stagionata more than 120 days; the Sfoglia a minimum of five months; and the con limone verde a minimum of 90 days. Dry matter is not less than 52 % for the fresh variety and not less than 60 % for the semi-aged or aged varieties; fat on dry matter is at least 38 %; sodium chloride on dry matter does not exceed 4 %. The specification prohibits the use of commercial allogenic starter cultures; all acidification relies on the spontaneous development of indigenous microflora from the environment, the raw milk, and the biofilms formed on traditional wooden equipment, including the tina di legno, ruotula, piddiaturi, manuvedda, and tavuliere. Kid or lamb paste rennet is required.

Source: The register document this entry was written from · retrieved August 26, 2026

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PDO on 2 March 2018 under file number PDO-IT-02394, eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000016176.
• The specification prohibits commercial allogenic starter cultures; all acidification depends on spontaneous indigenous microflora.
• The con limone verde variety is produced by incorporating a whole green lemon into the curd after the pasta filata step, with a minimum ripening period of 90 days.
• The Sfoglia variety develops a lamellar, layered internal structure through extended ripening and has a minimum ripening period of five months.

Tasting notes

Sicilian pasta filata cow's milk cheese from Nebrodi mountains. Pale yellow paste, smooth elastic texture, mild milky-savory flavor with grassy mountain notes; younger versions sweeter, aged more intense.

HoReCa use

Sliced on Sicilian cheese boards; melted on rustic Sicilian preparations.

Packaging

• whole-piece-1-3kg
• half-piece-vacuum-700g