Mozzarella: 5 Things You May Not Know About This Italian Cheese
In the form of tomato mozzarella salad or on pizzas, mozzarella is one of the star cheeses of summer! We invite you to discover 5 things you may not know about this little round cheese that hides its game well.
1- Its name comes from its manufacturing method.
Mozzarella is an Italian cheese with stretched curd whose name comes from the verb "mozzare" which means "to cut off". Indeed, during its manufacturing process, cheesemakers cut off the hot stretched curd with four hands.
Their skill allows them to shape balls, braids, pearls or bites of mozzarella which are then preserved in fresh and salted water.
2- It comes in several varieties.
You may not know it, but there are different varieties of mozzarella:
• Fior di latte mozzarella made from cow's milk is the cheapest of all. Commonly sold in France, it has a soft texture ideal for topping a pizza.
• Buffalo mozzarella made from buffalo milk is appreciated by purists because it is creamier and softer, thanks to the richer and fattier milk. It takes 4 liters of buffalo milk to produce one kilogram of "mozzarella di bufala". It differs from fior di latte in its uniform and elastic texture.
Note: Mozzarella di Bufala Campana, traditionally made in Campania, in the province of Naples, has been granted a protected designation of origin since 1996 for its creamy texture and unique taste.
• Burrata is a variant with an even more indulgent consistency as it contains a creamy center. By the way, in the realm of Italian cheeses, stracciatella has nothing to do with chocolate chip ice cream but refers to the creamy center of burrata!
3- Burrata is an anti-waste creation.
Just like the tarte tatin in France, the Italian burrata was born somewhat by chance...
It was a cheesemaker from Andria who invented it in the 1930s to avoid wasting his mozzarella filaments. He came up with the idea of creating a little nest and slipping in a local fresh cheese, stracciatella.
Since 2016, burrata produced in Puglia has been granted a PDO or protected geographical indication certifying its origin and traditional manufacturing method.
4- Mozzarella is the favorite cheese of the French.
Although this cheese was invented by our transalpine neighbors, mozzarella has been the favorite cheese of the French for a few years now. It was in 2021 that mozzarella sales exceeded those of Camembert for the first time.
With over 33,000 tons of mozzarella sold in France between January and September 2021, compared to only 29,000 tons of Camembert, our famous Norman cheese has been dethroned by mozza...
5- There is a new variety of black mozzarella.
Even if it's hard to believe your eyes, there is now a new variety of black mozzarella: the Nero di bufala! This cheese, for which a brand and a patent have been registered, is the invention of two brothers, Giovanni and Umberto Angelo.
The visual aspect is striking, but don't worry. This ink black color is obtained without artificial coloring thanks to the addition of a natural ingredient, activated charcoal.
Gourmands and adventurous cooks will not fail to surprise their guests with this astonishing dark-colored sphere, which is also said to be more digestible thanks to the addition of charcoal.
