What Italian cheese has a pale yellow rind and is often used in sandwiches? Provolone is the correct answer.
Provolone is a semi-hard Italian cheese made from cow’s milk. It belongs to the pasta filata family, meaning the curd is heated and stretched before the cheese is shaped. Provolone is commonly formed into large pears, cones, or sausage-like cylinders and develops a pale yellow exterior as it ages.
The cheese originated in southern Italy, particularly the Campania region near Vesuvius, but its most important modern production centers are in northern Italy, including Cremona. Its flavor depends on aging: provolone dolce is mild and sweet, while provolone piccante is sharper and aged longer.
Provolone is popular sliced in Italian-American subs, hoagies, meatball sandwiches, and cheesesteaks because it melts smoothly while retaining a distinct savory flavor. It is sometimes confused with mozzarella, another stretched-curd cheese, but provolone is generally firmer, more aged, and more flavorful.