Ingredient: Mozzarella
Category: Dairy- Cheese
Season: All
Mozzarella is a generic term for the several kinds of, originally, Italian fresh cheeses that are made using spinning and then cutting (hence the name; the Italian verb mozzare actually means "to cut"):
Mozzarella di latte di bufala made from un-pasteurised water buffalo's milk.
Mozzarella di bufala campana made only from Campania's buffalo milk.
The mozzarella di bufala campana (DOP 1996) is a particular type of mozzarella; some consider it the best for flavour or quality and it is protected by European DOP.
It is a raw material in Italian style Neapolitan Pizza - rather than mozzarella made with pasteurized cow's milk.
Mozzarella fior di latte made from fresh pasteurised or un-pasteurised cow's milk;
Fior di latte (written also as fiordilatte) is used to distinguish the mozzarella made from cow's milk from that made from buffalo's milk.
Fior di latte is the one to use in cooking: it has a very mild, creamy, faintly sour flavour and, because it melts so beautifully and instantly, it’s extremely good used in sauces, pasta dishes and, of course, as a pizza topping
Mozzarella made from mixtures, sometimes smoked, and those stored in preservatives.
It is also available in smoked (called affumicata) and reduced-moisture packaged varieties.
Fresh mozzarella is white and usually served on the day it is made, as it does not keep beyond 12 or 24 hours.
Mozzarella is available fresh; it is usually rolled in the shape of a ball of 80 to 100 grams (6 cm diameter), sometimes up to 1 kilogram (about 12 cm diameter), and soaked in salted water, sometimes with added citric acid, until sold.
To preserve a natural consistency (for no more than a couple of days), fresh mozzarella is delivered in its own liquid (whey).
Mozzarella of several kinds are also used for most types of pizza (more compact lower water content kinds), lasagne, or served with sliced tomatoes and basil in Insalata caprese.
When slightly desiccated (partially dried), the structure becomes more compact; then it is better used to prepare dishes cooked in the oven, for example lasagne.
When twisted to form a plait it is called treccia.
There are now a number of variations offered, such as "stuffed mozzarella", filled with olives and cooked or raw ham, as well as small tomatoes (pomodorini). |