Smoked provola of the Sorrento peninsula

Smoked provola is a specialty produced everywhere in Campania, and in particular in the areas of Volturno Valley, Sorrento Peninsula, Vallo di Diano, Irpinia, Sannio and Matese. It’s a cheese that shares with mozzarella the ancient origin and the production techniques that are very similar. Provola too is obtained from the transformation of raw cow milk ad the origin of its name probably derives from the fact that it was the “attempt” (prova), that is the sample that was immersed in the boiling water to establish if the curd was ready for the kneading. Differently from mozzarella, it doesn’t have to be eaten fresh, but it can be kept for a longer time; this is probably why it was more famous in ancient times than mozzarella: and proof is its presence in the famous Neapolitan nativity scenes of ‘700 where mozzarella and fior di latte are totally absent. Provola, at the end of the transformation, that has a longer kneading phase than mozzarella, to obtain a more consistent pulp, is left for a few minutes in a closed place in contact with the smoke that comes from humid burning hay, to acquire its taste, the colour and flavour typical of smoke. Especially in the province of Salerno fumigated provola is produced with the procedure described, but using exclusively buffalo milk.