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Provel cheese

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Provel cheese
Provel pasteurized processed cheese for pizza in a 5-pound block
Country of originUnited States
TownSt. Louis
Source of milkCows

Provel (/proʊˈvɛl/ proh-VEL) is a white processed cheese prominent in St. Louis cuisine.[1] A combination of cheddar, Swiss, provolone,[2][3][4] and liquid smoke,[5] Provel has a low melting point and a gooey texture and buttery flavor.

Provel cheese is the traditional topping for St. Louis–style pizza. It is also used in pasta sauces, cheese soup, salads, and sandwiches such as the Gerber sandwich.

Provel is rarely used or sold outside of St. Louis.[6] Provel can be purchased at St. Louis-area grocery stores such as Schnucks or Dierbergs Markets, and Hy-Vee grocery stores across the Midwest.

History

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Provel was purportedly invented for St. Louis–style pizza in the 1940s by Costa Grocery (now Roma Grocery on the Hill), in collaboration with Hoffman Dairy of Wisconsin (now part of Kraft Foods), according to St. Louis Post-Dispatch food writer Joe Bonwich. Provel was developed to meet demand for a pizza cheese with a clean bite, melting well while breaking off nicely when cut or bitten.[7] Imo's Pizza founder Ed Imo claims credit for popularizing Provel through his chain.[5]

Neither Kraft Foods nor Roma Grocery has a definitive answer for the origin of the name, although one popular theory is that it is a portmanteau of the words provolone and mozzarella, two of the cheeses for which it is substituted.[7]

Trademark

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The Provel name trademark was first used in 1947 and held by the Churny Company, Inc. of Glenview, Illinois. Churny later became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kraft Foods[8] after it was closed in 2012.[9]

In 2021, Lactalis acquired Hoffman Dairy from Kraft.[10] As of 2024, Lactalis holds the Provel name trademark,[11] but does not appear to be using this name: Hoffman's Pizza Cheese is simply known as "2/5 LB St. Louis Style Pizza Cheese" in the Lactalis Culinary catalogue.[12]

Distribution

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Imo's Pizza acquired Costa's Grocery, which had the sole rights to sell Provel in St. Louis,[5] some time between 1964 and 1985.[13] Imo's continues to package and sell shredded Provel cheese to end customers, as of 2024.[14]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Stern, Jane; Stern, Michael (2011). The Lexicon of Real American Food - Jane Stern, Michael Stern - Google Books. Lyons Press. ISBN 9780762760947. Archived from the original on 2013-10-31. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  2. ^ Hulin, Belinda (2007). The Everything Pizza Cookbook: 300 Crowd-Pleasing Slices of Heaven. F+W Publications, Inc. p. 7. ISBN 978-1598692594. Archived from the original on May 21, 2022. Retrieved September 30, 2012.
  3. ^ Bonwich, Joe (2012). "Provelology: The study of a made-up cheese with a made-up name". Archived from the original on 2018-05-23. Retrieved 2013-06-21.
  4. ^ Veety, Andrew (2010). "A Brief History Of Provel". Archived from the original on 2016-09-25. Retrieved 2013-06-21.
  5. ^ a b c Benetti, Asonta (6 April 2022). "How Salty-Velvety Provel Cheese Became a St. Louis Icon". Bon Appétit.
  6. ^ Greenblatt, Alan (15 February 2013). "One City's Love Affair With Processed Cheese". NPR. Archived from the original on 2019-08-16. Retrieved 2016-07-21.
  7. ^ a b Bonwich, Joe (October 28, 2004). "Review: Amici's". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Archived from the original on October 21, 2007. Retrieved 2023-11-29.
  8. ^ LIST OF SUBSIDIARIES OF KRAFT FOODS GROUP, INC. Archived 2021-08-01 at the Wayback Machine on U.S. Securities (retrieved 1 Aug 2021)
  9. ^ Kraft Foods to close Churny Archived 2021-08-01 at the Wayback Machine on Waupaca County News, 13 Jun 2012
  10. ^ "Lactalis Closes Acquisition of Kraft Heinz Natural Cheese Business in United States". November 29, 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  11. ^ "Trademark Status & Document Retrieval". tsdr.uspto.gov.
  12. ^ "Flavored Loaves - Lactalis Culinary". www.lactalisculinary.com.
  13. ^ "Imo's History". Retrieved 24 August 2024.
  14. ^ "Shredded Provel Cheese". Imo's Pizza. Ingredients: cultured pasteurized milk and part-skim milk, water, sodium phosphate, salt, milkfat, CONTAINS LESS THAN 0.5% OF lactic acid, sorbic acid as a preservative, enzymes, smoke flavor, anticake (powdered cellulose).
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