PBS Test Kitchen — Taste Tests Provolone

The television show PBS Test Kitchen features professional cooks who test recipes and equipment, and perform taste tests on various products. On each episode various brands of one product are put to the taste test. Test Kitchen is hosted by Christopher Kimball. Provolone cheese was taste tested on the episode called The Italian Grill.

The Brands Compared

The taste test for provolone cheese compared the following brands:

– DiGiorno

– Bel Gioso

– Provolone Vernengo from Formaggio Kitchen

– Agglegate Farms

A Few Facts About Provolone Cheese

According to PBS Test Kitchen, in Italy, provolone cheese “is made with raw cow’s milk and is aged 60 days up to 5 years,” and it is brined then dried. This process gives Italian provolone its “bold, nutty, complex” flavor compared to the “bland, plasticky” cheese made in America. They say that the American versions are fine for melted provolone in recipes but don’t deserve to be served on a cheese plate.

The PBS Test Kitchen Provolone Taste Test Winner

In the provolone cheese taste test, the PBS Test Kitchen found that the only Italian provolone cheese, Provolone Vernengo from Formaggio Kitchen, was the clear winner with the taste testers. This cheese is from Italy, was aged 60 days, and cost $27 per pound. The other three cheeses tasted are sliced provolone from America.

Christopher Kimball said the winning provolone “was salty, had bite, and is delicious.”

In second place was the Bel Gioso; in third place, the DiGiorno; and coming in last was the Applegate Farms provolone.

Ready for some more taste tests? Check out these:

– Unsalted butter

– White chocolate

– Dark chocolate