The story
Provoleta, the grilled cheese that opens many an Argentine asado, is credited to Natalio Alba, an immigrant from Rossano in Calabria. One account says he reached Argentina in 1938 and worked first in San Jorge, Santa Fe, before settling in Arroyo Algodón, a small farming town in Córdoba. There, around 1940, he set out to make a firm, stretched provolone-style cheese that could sit on the grill without melting through the bars. He named it provoleta, an Italian-style diminutive, and registered it. The cheese entered Argentina's food code in 1955, and grilling it became a national habit.
Rival claims
Natalio Alba first settled in San Jorge (Santa Fe) in 1938 before moving to this town, where he developed and named the cheese.
Also known as provoleta asada, grilled provolone, provolone a la parrilla.
On the Meridish menu
Provoleta was the starter course on menu No. 17 on October 17, 2026. Its clue in the game, which hints at the place without naming it:
A thick disc of provolone-style cheese grilled over coals until crisp outside and molten inside. A Calabrian immigrant cheesemaker in this small farming town created it around 1940.
In Meridish, every dish is pinned to the town or city most widely credited with creating it. A guess within 25 km scores all 100 points. How scoring works.
Sources
- es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provoleta
- eleconomista.com.ar/actualidad/quien-invento-provoleta-mejor-manera-hacerla-salga-perfecta-n68061
Food history is often disputed. Think we've pinned it in the wrong place? Tell us at hello@meridish.com, ideally with a source.
