Provel

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Provel is a white processed cheese that blends cheddar, Swiss and provolone with liquid smoke. It melts at a low temperature, tastes buttery, and is the traditional cheese on St. Louis-style pizza.

Key Facts

Country of Origin	United States
Specific Origin	St. Louis, Missouri
Milk Type	Cow's milk
Milk Treatment	Pasteurized
Rind	Plastic
Texture	Soft, processed
Flavor	Buttery
Aroma	Smokey
Colors	White
Forms	Shredded

What is Provel Cheese?

Provel came out of St. Louis in the 1940s. According to St. Louis Post-Dispatch food writer Joe Bonwich, it was invented for St. Louis-style pizza by Costa Grocery, now Roma Grocery on the Hill, working with Hoffman Dairy of Wisconsin. Ed Imo, who founded Imo's Pizza, claims credit for making it popular through his chain. Nobody at Kraft Foods or Roma Grocery can settle where the name came from, though one common theory calls it a blend of provolone and mozzarella, the two cheeses it stands in for.

It is a processed cheese built from cheddar, Swiss and provolone with liquid smoke added. The recipe answered a specific request from pizza makers: a cheese that would melt well but still break off neatly when a slice was cut or bitten.

The result is white, gooey when warm, with a low melting point and a buttery flavor.

Pizza is the main use, but Provel also goes into pasta sauces, cheese soup, salads, and sandwiches, including the Gerber.

Outside St. Louis it is hard to find. Shoppers in the area buy it at Schnucks and Dierbergs Markets, and Hy-Vee carries it across the Midwest. Imo's still packages and sells shredded Provel to customers as of 2026. The trademark dates to 1947 and belonged to the Churny Company of Glenview, Illinois, which later became a Kraft Foods subsidiary and closed in 2012. Lactalis bought Hoffman Dairy from Kraft in 2021 and holds the trademark as of 2024, but sells the product as 2/5 LB St. Louis Style Pizza Cheese instead.