Provolone vs. Mozzarella – What’s The Difference?

Cooking is all about choosing the right recipe and using the right ingredients. Correct knowledge of food items and different ingredients will make your meal tastier and yummier. Different ingredients are used in cooking meals and food items like pizza and burgers etc. An ingredient that is widely used in household staples is cheese. Our brain releases dopamine when we eat food like cheese, which encourages us to eat more.

Cheese is a milk product made from milk of different animals. It is a food that comprises compressed, usually ripened and coagulated curd of milk. Cheese is made by curdling milk first by adding bacteria to milk that converts lactose into lactic acid and then by adding an enzyme called rennet. The bacteria and enzymes added while making cheese breakdowns the protein and fats into other molecules that provide a good flavor and taste to the cheese.

The people around the world who love cheese are called turophiles. Different countries produce different types of cheese, and people love cheese so much for so many reasons; for example, the cheese fits with all types of food items. Cheese is a simple and easy food to serve at a party. Cheese is easily available and gives an imperishable taste to its added food.

Many different types of cheese are available, for example, Blue cheese, Bocconcini, Brie, Burrata, Cheddar, Provolone, Mozzarella, Colby, Cream cheese, Cottage cheese and Emmental etc. In this article, we will talk about Provolone and Mozzarella cheese and how they differ according to their taste and composition. These types of cheese also serve different purposes, but the origin of both types of cheese in Italy.

Provolone Cheese

Provolone is a salty, firm and semi-hard cheese. This type of cheese has a nutty flavor and is a bit tangy. Provolone cheese is considered a good ingredient of pizza and pasta. The quality of provolone cheese depends upon two main factors. One is the quality of the milk used in the making and its fat content. The other major factor is the production process. Provolone cheese is made from cow milk, generally in straw color.

Nutritional Contents of Provolone Cheese

Provolone contains 463 calories with 2.8g of carbohydrates, 35.1g of fat, 91.1mg cholesterol, 1156mg sodium and 33.8mg of potassium per one-cup serving. The lactose content in provolone is 0.6g per slice, and histamine contents are about 2.0-23.5mg per 100 grams. 

Process of Making Provolone cheese

The first and most important step of making cheese is choosing the right quality milk. The milk is then heated up to 102 degrees Fahrenheit, and then the cud is separated from milk. After that, the curd is dried, and all the water is dried. Curds are then cooked at a high temperature ranging from 118-125 degrees Fahrenheit. Then the curds are cut into blocks, and this process is called stretching after these blocks are placed in a mold for shaping. The final step is curing the cheese for at least three months.

Flavor, Shelf Life and Uses

Provolone has a buttery, tangier and milky flavor. Since the provolone is aged longer, it has a strong flavor; for example, younger provolone has a sweeter taste, and older provolone has a sharper taste. The aging process increases the shelf life of provolone cheese, and you can also freeze it for a long time.

Provolone adds some complex flavor and is used in making pizzas, burgers, sandwiches and casseroles.

Mozzarella Cheese

Mozzarella is the most famous cheese due to its creamy nature. It is cream, buttery and available in round shape. Mozzarella cheese has a high moisture content, but it is also available in low moisture variants. It is a block of free oil-forming cheese and has its unique elasticity. It has a bubbly or stringy consistency. It is a semi-soft and light-yellow cheese.

Nutritional Contents of Mozzarella Cheese

Mozzarella contains 336 calories, about 2.5 grams of carbohydrates, 25 grams of fat, 88.5mg of cholesterol, 702mg of sodium and about 24.8 grams of protein per 1 cup serving. It is made from buffalo and cow milk containing about 0.3g lactose per slice.

Process of Making Mozzarella Cheese

The first step is finding good quality buffalo milk. The next step is curdling and ripening of milk with the help of rennet. After that, the curds are broken into pieces and then treated with hot water for melting and separating the curd from the whey. The final step is stretching the curds before shaping them.

Flavor, Shelf Life and Uses of Mozzarella Cheese

The mozzarella is just like the solid form of milk and has a milky and creamy taste. Mozzarella with low moisture has a slightly sour taste. Since the mozzarella has high moisture contents, this cheese’s shelf life is less, and they do not last much without refrigeration. Due to high moisture, they rapidly develop a more sour taste when not stored properly. So they must be properly stored.

Mozzarella cheese is used extensively in the topping of pizzas. Mozzarella is also used in cooking since it melts easily. This type of cheese is also used along with salads and other dishes.

So What’s the Difference Between Provolone and Mozzarella Cheese?

The key difference between the Provolone cheese and Mozzarella cheese is that the provolone cheese has a tangier taste while the mozzarella cheese has a creamy taste. The provolone is semi-hard inconsistency, while the mozzarella is soft and doughy. The provolone cheese can be stored for longer and is an aged cheese, while the mozzarella cheese is fresh.

 There is a fairly large difference in the nutritional profile of provolone and mozzarella cheese. Provolone has more calories per cup than mozzarella cheese. Both kinds of cheese are made from cow milk and can be used to substitute for each other in cooking. Both of these cheeses have their purposes and have benefits that are unique to them.

Sources

• Darkcheese
• Preparedcooks