Provolone vs American Cheese: What’s the Difference?

When exploring the diverse world of cheese, it’s fascinating to compare varieties that are staples in kitchens across the globe. Provolone and American cheese are just that. Both are popular in sandwiches and burgers, yet their origins, taste, and texture set them apart significantly.

Provolone, a traditional Italian cheese, is known for its semi-hard texture and mild, slightly tangy flavour, while American cheese, a processed cheese product, is characterized by its smooth, creamy texture and mild, salty taste.

What is Provolone?

Provolone is an Italian cheese made from cow’s milk.

It’s classified as a pasta filata cheese, meaning it’s produced by stretching and moulding the curds while still warm. This process gives Provolone its characteristic semi-hard texture.

It comes in two main varieties: Provolone Dolce, which is aged for 2-3 months and has a mild, sweet flavour, and Provolone Piccante, aged for more than 4 months and distinguished by a sharper, tangier taste.

Provolone is often used in sandwiches, pizzas, and antipasto platters.

What is American Cheese?

American cheese, as we know it today, is a processed product made from a blend of milk, milk fats, and solids, with other fats and whey protein concentrate.

It was originally crafted from a mixture of cheeses, mostly Colby and Cheddar.

Today, its making involves emulsifiers, which give it a smooth, melt-friendly consistency. American cheese is known for its mild flavour and creamy, almost velvety texture.

It is a popular choice for burgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, and as a melting cheese in various dishes.

Similarities Between Provolone and American Cheese

Although they are from different corners of the globe, there are a surprising number of similarities between these two:

• Melting Properties: Both cheeses are known for their ability to melt well, making them popular in cooked dishes like pizzas and sandwiches.
• Milk-Based: Both are made primarily from cow’s milk, serving as their fundamental ingredient.
• Versatility: Each cheese is versatile in its own right, finding a place in various dishes, from sandwiches to cooked meals.
• Popular in Sandwiches: Provolone and American Cheese are both popular sandwich choices, each adding a creamy, rich texture.

Differences Between Provolone and American Cheese

Of course, they’re far from the same cheese. Here are the countless ways these cheeses are different:

• Texture: Provolone has a semi-hard texture that can vary depending on ageing, while American Cheese is uniformly creamy and smooth.
• Flavour Profile: Provolone offers a range of flavours, from mild to sharp, depending on how long it’s aged. In contrast, American Cheese maintains a consistently mild, creamy taste.
• Production Process: Provolone is a natural cheese made from cow’s milk and aged, whereas American Cheese is a processed product, often containing additional ingredients like emulsifiers.
• Culinary Uses: Provolone is versatile in Italian cuisine, great for melting in cooked dishes or served cold. American Cheese is a staple in American fast food, renowned for its meltability in hot sandwiches and burgers.
• Origin: Provolone comes from Southern Italy, embodying traditional cheese-making practices, whereas American Cheese is a modern, processed product developed in the United States. It’s mass-produced and not what you’d serve to a cheese connoisseur.

Provolone vs American Cheese: Which Wins?

If you’re a super fan of cheese, then this might be a tough question to answer but which of these two is your favourite? If you had to limit yourself to just one of these, which gets your vote?