Pizza tastes the best when there are two kinds of cheese used in them, the Provolone and the Mozzarella. Both of these add good flavour and contribute to the binding of all the other ingredients on the pizza, but they do have one major problem. It is very difficult to choose between them both. It becomes Mozzarella vs Provolone showdown. Now when it comes to choosing between Provolone and Mozzarella, you need to know how each of them contributes to making your pizza better in terms of flavour, texture, and the overall taste.
For instance, the Provolone cheese is cured for a long time, before it is used, giving it a more tangy taste. Whereas, the Mozzarella cheese is used almost immediately after it is made leading to a more buttery flavour.
So to make sure that you choose the right type of pizza cheese for making the best pizzas, we have explained in detail about the two types of cheese. In addition we have also reviewed some of the best parmesan cheese available in the market. If you are vegan, then you can go for the Vegan Cheese. You will have an idea about which one to choose at the end of the article.
What is Provolone Cheese?
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Provolone cheese is a type of cheese that is mostly used in many dishes apart from pizzas as well. The Provolone cheese is made with the finest Italian crafting method to make sure that the cheese has the perfect flavour.
When it comes to the flavour, you might be wondering what does Provolone cheese taste like?
To answer that, the cheese has a very smooth nutty, tangy flavouring which is probably the number one reason why it is preferred less than the Mozzarella cheese.
How is Provolone Cheese made?
The quality in the Provolone Cheese depends on two major factors. One is the fat in the milk that you are going to use, and next is the method with which you are going to make it. To make sure that you have Provolone cheese that tastes the best, follow these steps.
- Fresh milk is sourced from the local farmers and is sent for cheese making as fast as it can be done. This is because the longer the milk stays, the lesser the freshness.
- The milk is heated to a temperature of about 98-102 Fahrenheit. To make sure that the curd is separated from the milk, they add in rennet. This will separate the curd from the milk.
- The curds are then strained of water, milk solids and are dried completely. Once this is done, the curd is then cooked at high temperatures of about 118-125 Fahrenheit for nearly 6 to 8 hours. This will prepare the curd for the formation of the cheese.
- After the cooking process, the curd is cut into desired blocks and is passed onto the stretching, also known as the pasta filata process. The stretching process is one of the most important processes of all because this gives the cheese the springy texture and does not make the end product rubbery.
- The stretched curd is then placed in moulds or shaped by hand, and once the desired shape is achieved, the whole of the cheese is cooled down in a very light salted brine bath.
- The cheese is then tied with ropes so that they could be hung properly for them to cure.
- Once that is done, they are dipped into a light wax bath to prevent them from forming any bad moulds.
- They let the cheese to cure for a minimum of three months before they ship it off for sale.
The entire process may have some alterations from cheesemaker to the cheesemaker. But the overall way of making the cheese is the same.
What is Mozzarella Cheese?
Mozzarella Cheese is one of the most loved cheeses in America. This is because the cheese seems to be the perfect match for any kind of recipe that you would like to use the cheese for. The cheese has another major speciality. It does not have to be cured to make it eligible for consumption. Mozzarella cheese is consumed almost immediately or hours after it’s made, making it the best cheese to resource for.
The whole flavour of the cheese has a kind of milk flavour into it, making it one of the most desired cheeses all over the world, especially in America.
How is Mozzarella Cheese made?
The process of making the Mozzarella cheese is almost pretty simple, making it the perfect cheese to make at home as well. But it certainly requires some patience and practice to master the art of making Mozzarella cheese.
Mozzarella Cheese is made from Buffalo milk, and this is a very important element to make proper Mozzarella Cheese. However, most of the Mozzarella cheese that you get from the market these days is made from Cow’s milk.
The process of making Mozzarella cheese is quite similar to that of the provolone cheese-making process.
- The traditional method of making the cheese starts from sourcing fresh Buffalo milk and adding a whey starter to ripen the milk.
- Once the ripening process is done, rennet is added to the mixture for the milk to coagulate.
- Once the milk is coagulated into curd, it is cut into pieces and then kneaded with salt to break them into tiny curd particles.
- Hot water is added to the curd particles to melt them, and they are given a mix with a huge ladle to help with the melting process.
- In the melting process, the curd gets separated from the whey in the form of water that gets drained.
- Once they separate the curd from the whey, they start kneading and stretching the curd (Pasta Filata) and shape them into round mozzarella balls. The Mozzarella cheese is consumed almost immediately.
Difference between Mozzarella and Provolone Cheese
There are a lot of things that make the Provolone Cheese different from the Mozzarella cheese. Both the cheeses are made in the Pasta Filata (Stretched-curd) fashion. But it is pretty easy to differentiate the Provolone cheese from the Mozzarella cheese. Some of them are;
The major difference that helps us in distinguishing the Mozzarella from the Provolone cheese is the curation process.
The Provolone cheese once prepared is cured for about 2-3 months before it can be consumed, whereas the Mozzarella cheese is almost consumed immediately after it is done.
When comparing Provolone Cheese Vs Mozzarella in terms of texture and melting, the mozzarella cheese is soft and can easily melt, and that is the number one reason why it is preferred for cooking pizzas. Whereas, Provolone, on the other hand, cannot be melted as easy as the Mozzarella cheese.
When it comes to Provolone Vs Mozzarella taste, the Provolone packs a tangy punch whereas the Mozzarella, on the other hand, has a mild buttery flavour.
The other major difference when it comes to Mozzarella VS Provolone is that Provolone can be stored for a pretty long time, but the Mozzarella cannot be done like that. Mozzarella has a very weak shelf life and will go bad, if not consumed immediately. That is the reason why they are packed with a brine solution to keep them preserved.
Health Benefits of Mozzarella and Provolone Cheese
Mozzarella and Provolone cheese are rich sources of protein and calcium. This means that when you consume Mozzarella or Provolone cheese, it is evident that you are nourished with protein that will help you in building the muscles and give you the strength to do work.
Calcium, on the other side, greatly facilitates the growth of bones, joints, and tooth enamel.
That’s not all, the Provolone and the Mozzarella cheese are also high in vitamins and minerals that help you to maintain healthy skin and produce fresh red blood cells that are important to keep you away from diseases.
They also have enough concentrations of zinc that will help you in keeping the nails strong and also acts as the perfect element to protect your skin from harsh UV rays.
They also have phosphorus content that will help you to make the best out of the calcium that is available in your body. Thus it is very evident that the provolone and Mozzarella cheese have a lot of nutrition elements that will aid your body’s growth. But it is also known that cheese has a high-fat content, and when consumed in excess will lead to cholesterol and destroy your weight loss process and routine as well.
So, if you would want to know the exact nutrition information, it is always important that you read the ingredients tag of the cheese.
Below are the Nutritional data that you can find in one cup of shredded Mozzarella and Provolone cheese.
| Mozzarella Cheese | Provolone Cheese | |
| Calories (Kcal) | 336 | 463 |
| Carbohydrates | 2.5g | 2.8g |
| Total Fat | 25g | 35.1g |
| Saturated Fat | 14.7g | 22.5g |
| Sodium | 702mg | 1156mg |
| Protein | 24.8g | 33.8g |
| Cholesterol | 88.5mg | 91.1mg |
Conclusion
When it comes to Mozzarella Vs Provolone cheese, most of you out there would consider that to be just cheese. This is a common assumption and contradictory to the assumptions; there are a lot of crucial factors that make the Provolone cheese differ from the Mozzarella cheese. We have mentioned those crucial factors in detail, and this will help you make a better choice when it comes to Provolone Vs mozzarella cheese on your favourite pizza. Check our take on Neapolitan and Sicilian Pizza style pizzas. Are they your favourite too?