Provoleta is an Argentine variant of

provolone cheese Provolone (, ) is an Italian cheese. It is an aged ''pasta filata'' (stretched-curd) cheese originating in Campania near Vesuvius, where it is still produced in pear, sausage, or cone shapes long. Provolone-type cheeses are also produced in othe ...

described as "Argentine pulled-curd Provolone cheese". It is eaten grilled in

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

and

Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...

. It can be made on a grill, or indoors in a cast-iron pan. The cheese should be firm and able to hold its shape when grilled. It was introduced in Argentina by Natalio Alba, a native of the

Calabria , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

region in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

, who created this cheese inspired by typical cheeses of his region such as

provola silana is a variety of cheese typical of the Sila area in the region of Calabria in Italy. Characteristics Provola Silana is a semi-hard stretched curd cheese obtained thanks to the processing of cow's milk, coming from the various cattle breeds rai ...

and

caciocavallo Caciocavallo is a type of stretched-curd cheese made out of sheep's or cow's milk. It is produced throughout Southern Italy, particularly in the Apennine Mountains and in the Gargano peninsula. Shaped like a teardrop, it is similar in taste to t ...

, combining it with the tradition of Argentine

asado ' () is the technique and the social event of having or attending a barbecue in various South American countries, especially Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay where it is also a traditional event. An ''asado'' usually consists of beef, po ...

. Small discs of locally produced provolone cheese of in diameter and in height are often eaten at the start of an ''

'', before the grilled meat. The provolone, often topped with chilli and oregano, is placed directly on the grill, on small stones or inside a foil plate, and cooked until part-melted. The provoleta may be seasoned with ''

chimichurri Chimichurri () is an uncooked sauce used both as an ingredient in cooking and as a table condiment for grilled meat. Found in Argentinian, Nicaraguan and Uruguayan cuisines,Joyce GoldsteinThe mysterious origins of chimichurri ''San Francisc ...

'', a mixture of oils and spices, and is usually eaten communally with bread. Stuffed provoleta ( es, provoleta rellena) is provoleta stuffed with assorted fillings that could include ham, barbecue sausage or ''morcilla''

blood sausage A blood sausage is a sausage filled with blood that is cooked or dried and mixed with a filler until it is thick enough to solidify when cooled. Most commonly, the blood of pigs, sheep, lamb, cow, chicken, or goose is used. In Europe and the A ...

, cheese, vegetables, peppers and onions.

References

Argentine cuisine Uruguayan cuisine Barbecue Cheese dishes Argentine cheeses {{Uruguay-cuisine-stub

See also

References