ST. LOUIS — Provel cheese is getting mainstream attention.
Bon Appétit, a New York City-based food magazine, wrote an article all about the St. Louis-style cheese that many know and love.
The article, written by Asonta Benetti, tells the story of Benetti's discovery of Provel cheese through her boyfriend, who she said in the article, is originally from Quincy, Illinois.
In the article, Benetti said she had never heard of Provel but said she was a fan of the non-traditional cheese after eating an Imo's Pizza she had ordered and had shipped to her home.
She marveled at the square pieces of pizza and appreciated the smoky flavor.
According to Benetti's article, Provel was apparently first introduced to St. Louis by Costa Grocery in St. Louis.
According to Imo's Pizza's website, the Imo family couldn't find a distributor of Provel cheese, until a delivery man named Mr. John loaned a block of Provel to the Imo family to have on their pizzas. The website said they paid Mr. John for his block of Provel the following week and he came back every week for the next three years until he died.
The website said that as the demand for Provel grew, Imo's had to find a stable supply of the cheese. Costa's Grocery, one of the reliable suppliers of Provel cheese, was later sold by the Costa family to the Imo's family.
Benetti said in her article after trying the St. Louis cheese on Imo's Pizza, she ordered herself a block and found it to be "pretty versatile."
She mentions the polarizing nature of Provel appreciation, but proclaimed "Melt my heart, Provel."
You can read the article here on Bon Appétit's website.
