Provolone Valpadana

Semi-hard stretched-curd cheese made from raw whole cows' milk, produced across a defined Po Valley area in northern Italy. It exists in two varieties — mild (dolce) and tangy (piccante) — distinguished by maturation period and the type of rennet used. Minimum maturation periods and maximum water content are fixed by the specification, and all production steps must occur within the designated geographical area.

About this designation

Provolone Valpadana holds PDO status registered under file number PDO-IT-0021, with EU protection granted on 21 June 1996. The Eambrosia identifier is EUGI00000013003, and the Consorzio Tutela Provolone Valpadana is the applicant group. The geographical area comprises the entire territory of the Provinces of Cremona, Brescia, Verona, Vicenza, Rovigo, Padova and Piacenza, adjoining municipalities of the Provinces of Bergamo, Mantova and Lodi, and the Autonomous Province of Trento. All production steps must take place within this area. The specification defines minimum maturation periods according to weight: cheeses up to 6 kg must mature for a minimum of 10 days; those over 6 kg for a minimum of 30 days; those over 15 kg of the tangy variety for a minimum of 90 days; and those over 30 kg of the tangy variety labelled P.V.S. (Provolone Valpadana Stagionato) for over 8 months. Maximum water content must not exceed 46 % for the mild variety and for tangy cheeses up to 6 kg, and 43 % for tangy cheeses over 6 kg. Fat in dry matter must be not less than 44 % and not more than 54 %. At least 50 % of basic feed for dairy cattle must come from the area of origin. All whole cheeses must bear the PDO logo on a tamper-proof support. The P.V.S. fire marking may be applied exclusively to the tangy variety from the eighth month of maturation, following a technical check.

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

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PDO on 21 June 1996 under file number PDO-IT-0021 (Eambrosia identifier EUGI00000013003).
• Minimum maturation periods are fixed by weight: 10 days for cheeses up to 6 kg, 30 days for those over 6 kg, and 90 days for tangy cheeses over 15 kg.
• At least 50 % of the basic feed for dairy cattle must originate from the defined geographical area of origin.
• The P.V.S. (Provolone Valpadana Stagionato) fire marking is available exclusively for the tangy variety from the eighth month of maturation, subject to a technical check at the holder's cost.

Tasting notes

Po-valley pasta filata cow's milk cheese in two styles: Dolce (2-3 months, mild buttery sweet) and Piccante (3+ months with lipase, sharp spicy aged). Pale yellow to amber, smooth firm texture, characteristic provolone tang.

HoReCa use

Dolce sliced on cheese boards, melted in panini; Piccante grated over rustic pasta, paired with cured meats; both classic in northern Italian antipasti.

Packaging

• whole-piece-1-100kg
• half-piece-vacuum-1-5kg
• wedge-vacuum-500g
• wedge-vacuum-250g
• sliced-pre-pack-150g