Cheeses

Provolone del Monaco

Provolone del Monaco PDO, from the Monti Lattari and the Agerolese cow

Raw cow's milk, at least a fifth of it from Agerolese cows, worked by hand in near-boiling water: this is the aged stretched-curd cheese of the Sorrento peninsula and the Monti Lattari, made in 13 municipalities around Naples. The name recalls cheesemakers who came ashore in Naples at first light, hooded in sackcloth cloaks that looked like monks' habits.

• Elongated melon shape with at least six faces from its ties, 2.5 to 8 kg
• Cream-coloured, springy paste with tiny partridge-eye holes
• Sweet and buttery, with a peppery edge that grows as it ages

How to enjoy it. Serve it as a table cheese, as a starter or at the end of a meal, or shave it into Neapolitan pasta e patate. Pair older wheels with a red Penisola Sorrentina and keep it in the fridge below 8 °C.

Production areas

Campania

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