Mozzarella
Encyclopedia
Mozzarella is an Italian
Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG)
food product. The term is used for several kinds of Italian cheeses that are made using spinning and then cutting (hence the name, as the Italian
verb mozzare means "to cut"):
Fresh mozzarella is generally white, but may vary seasonally to slightly yellow depending on the animal's diet. It is a semi-soft cheese. Due to its high moisture content, it is traditionally served the day it is made, but can be kept in brine
for up to a week, or longer when sold in vacuum-sealed packages. Low-moisture mozzarella can be kept refrigerated for up to a month, though some pre-shredded low-moisture mozzarella is sold with a shelf life of up to 6 months. Mozzarella of several kinds are also used for most types of pizza
and several pasta
dishes, such as lasagna
, or served with sliced tomatoes and basil
in Insalata caprese
.
is a type of mozzarella made from the milk of water buffalo
raised in designated areas of Lazio and Campania
, Italy. It is usually considered the best for flavor and quality. Unlike other mozzarellas – 50% of whose production derives from non-Italian and often semi-coagulated milk – it holds the status of a protected designation of origin
(PDO 1996) under the European Union
.
Fior di latte (written also as one word) designates mozzarella made from cow (and not water buffalo) milk, which greatly lowers its cost. Outside Italy "mozzarella" not clearly labeled as deriving from water buffalo can be presumed to derive from cow milk.
Mozzarella is available fresh or partly dried. Fresh it is usually rolled into a ball of 80 to 100 gram
s (6 cm diameter), sometimes up to 1 kilogram
(about 12 cm diameter), and soaked in salt water
(brine
) or whey
, sometimes with citric acid
added. Partly dried (desiccated) its structure is more compact, and in this form it is often used to prepare dishes cooked in the oven, such as lasagna
and pizza
.
When twisted to form a plait mozzarella is called treccia. Mozzarella is also available in smoked (affumicata) and reduced-moisture packaged varieties. "Stuffed mozzarella", a new trend, may feature olive
s or cooked or raw ham
, or small tomato
es (pomodorini).
. A whey starter is added from the previous batch that contains thermophilic bacteria, and the milk is left to ripen so the bacteria can multiply. Then, rennet
is added to coagulate the milk. After coagulation, the curd is cut into large, 1"–2" pieces, and left to sit so the curds firm up in a process known as healing. After the curd heals, it is further cut into 3/8"–1/2" large pieces. The curds are stirred and heated to separate the curds from the whey. The whey is then drained from the curds and the curds are placed in a hoop to form a solid mass. The curd mass is left until the pH is at around 5.2-5.5, which is the point when the cheese can be stretched. The cheese is then stretched and kneaded to produce a delicate consistency – this process is generally known as pasta filata
. According to the Mozzarella di Bufala trade association, "The cheese-maker kneads it with his hands, like a baker making bread, until he obtains a smooth, shiny paste, a strand of which he pulls out and lops off, forming the individual mozzarella." It is then typically formed into ball shapes or in plait
. In Italy, a "rubbery" consistency is generally considered not satisfactory; the cheese is expected to be softer.
dialect spoken in Campania
– is the diminutive form of mozza (cut), or mozzare (to cut off) derived from the method of working. Scamorza cheese
is a close relative, which probably derives from "scamozzata" ("without a shirt"), with allusion to the fact that these cheeses have no hard surface covering typical of a dry cured cheese.
The term mozzarella is first found definitively mentioned in 1570, cited in a cookbook by Bartolomeo Scappi
, reading "milk cream, fresh butter, ricotta cheese, fresh mozzarella and milk".
Sito di approndimento scientifico sulla mozzarella, e l'allevamento di bufala campana
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG)
Protected Geographical Status
Protected Geographical Status is a legal framework defined in European Union law to protect the names of regional foods. Protected Designation of Origin , Protected Geographical Indication and Traditional Speciality Guaranteed are distinct regimes of geographical indications within the framework...
food product. The term is used for several kinds of Italian cheeses that are made using spinning and then cutting (hence the name, as the Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
verb mozzare means "to cut"):
- Mozzarella di Bufala (buffalo mozzarella), made from domesticated water buffalo milk
- mozzarella fior di latte, made from fresh pasteurized or unpasteurized cow's milk
- low-moisture mozzarella, which is made from whole or part skimmed milkSkimmed milkSkimmed milk , or skim milk is made when all the cream is removed from whole milk .Sometimes only half the cream is removed, this is called semi-skimmed milk....
, and widely used in the foodserviceFoodserviceFood Service or catering industry defines those businesses, institutions, and companies responsible for any meal prepared outside the home...
industry - smoked mozzarella
Fresh mozzarella is generally white, but may vary seasonally to slightly yellow depending on the animal's diet. It is a semi-soft cheese. Due to its high moisture content, it is traditionally served the day it is made, but can be kept in brine
Brine
Brine is water, saturated or nearly saturated with salt .Brine is used to preserve vegetables, fruit, fish, and meat, in a process known as brining . Brine is also commonly used to age Halloumi and Feta cheeses, or for pickling foodstuffs, as a means of preserving them...
for up to a week, or longer when sold in vacuum-sealed packages. Low-moisture mozzarella can be kept refrigerated for up to a month, though some pre-shredded low-moisture mozzarella is sold with a shelf life of up to 6 months. Mozzarella of several kinds are also used for most types of pizza
Pizza
Pizza is an oven-baked, flat, disc-shaped bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings.Originating in Italy, from the Neapolitan cuisine, the dish has become popular in many parts of the world. An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a "pizzeria"...
and several pasta
Pasta
Pasta is a staple food of traditional Italian cuisine, now of worldwide renown. It takes the form of unleavened dough, made in Italy, mostly of durum wheat , water and sometimes eggs. Pasta comes in a variety of different shapes that serve for both decoration and to act as a carrier for the...
dishes, such as lasagna
Lasagna
Lasagna is a wide and flat type of pasta and possibly one of the oldest shapes. As with most other pasta shapes, the word is generally used in its plural form lasagne in Italy and the U.K. Traditionally, the dough was prepared in Southern Italy with semolina and water and in the northern regions,...
, or served with sliced tomatoes and basil
Basil
Basil, or Sweet Basil, is a common name for the culinary herb Ocimum basilicum , of the family Lamiaceae , sometimes known as Saint Joseph's Wort in some English-speaking countries....
in Insalata caprese
Insalata Caprese
Insalata Caprese is a simple salad from the Italian region of Campania, made of sliced fresh buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes and basil, seasoned with salt, and olive oil...
.
Types
Mozzarella di bufala campanaMozzarella di Bufala Campana
Buffalo mozzarella is a mozzarella made from the milk of the domestic water buffalo.-Areas of production:Apart from Italy, its birthplace, buffalo mozzarella is manufactured in many locations around the world...
is a type of mozzarella made from the milk of water buffalo
Water buffalo
The water buffalo is a domesticated bovid widely kept in Asia, Europe and South America.Water buffalo can also refer to:*Wild water buffalo , the wild ancestor of the domestic water buffalo...
raised in designated areas of Lazio and Campania
Campania
Campania is a region in southern Italy. The region has a population of around 5.8 million people, making it the second-most-populous region of Italy; its total area of 13,590 km² makes it the most densely populated region in the country...
, Italy. It is usually considered the best for flavor and quality. Unlike other mozzarellas – 50% of whose production derives from non-Italian and often semi-coagulated milk – it holds the status of a protected designation of origin
Protected designation of origin
Protected Geographical Status is a legal framework defined in European Union law to protect the names of regional foods. Protected Designation of Origin , Protected Geographical Indication and Traditional Speciality Guaranteed are distinct regimes of geographical indications within the framework...
(PDO 1996) under the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
.
Fior di latte (written also as one word) designates mozzarella made from cow (and not water buffalo) milk, which greatly lowers its cost. Outside Italy "mozzarella" not clearly labeled as deriving from water buffalo can be presumed to derive from cow milk.
Mozzarella is available fresh or partly dried. Fresh it is usually rolled into a ball of 80 to 100 gram
Gram
The gram is a metric system unit of mass....
s (6 cm diameter), sometimes up to 1 kilogram
Kilogram
The kilogram or kilogramme , also known as the kilo, is the base unit of mass in the International System of Units and is defined as being equal to the mass of the International Prototype Kilogram , which is almost exactly equal to the mass of one liter of water...
(about 12 cm diameter), and soaked in salt water
Saline water
Saline water is a general term for water that contains a significant concentration of dissolved salts . The concentration is usually expressed in parts per million of salt....
(brine
Brine
Brine is water, saturated or nearly saturated with salt .Brine is used to preserve vegetables, fruit, fish, and meat, in a process known as brining . Brine is also commonly used to age Halloumi and Feta cheeses, or for pickling foodstuffs, as a means of preserving them...
) or whey
Whey
Whey or Milk Serum is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained. It is a by-product of the manufacture of cheese or casein and has several commercial uses. Sweet whey is manufactured during the making of rennet types of hard cheese like cheddar or Swiss cheese...
, sometimes with citric acid
Citric acid
Citric acid is a weak organic acid. It is a natural preservative/conservative and is also used to add an acidic, or sour, taste to foods and soft drinks...
added. Partly dried (desiccated) its structure is more compact, and in this form it is often used to prepare dishes cooked in the oven, such as lasagna
Lasagna
Lasagna is a wide and flat type of pasta and possibly one of the oldest shapes. As with most other pasta shapes, the word is generally used in its plural form lasagne in Italy and the U.K. Traditionally, the dough was prepared in Southern Italy with semolina and water and in the northern regions,...
and pizza
Pizza
Pizza is an oven-baked, flat, disc-shaped bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings.Originating in Italy, from the Neapolitan cuisine, the dish has become popular in many parts of the world. An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a "pizzeria"...
.
When twisted to form a plait mozzarella is called treccia. Mozzarella is also available in smoked (affumicata) and reduced-moisture packaged varieties. "Stuffed mozzarella", a new trend, may feature olive
Olive
The olive , Olea europaea), is a species of a small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean Basin as well as northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea.Its fruit, also called the olive, is of major agricultural importance in the...
s or cooked or raw ham
Ham
Ham is a cut of meat from the thigh of the hind leg of certain animals, especiallypigs. Nearly all hams sold today are fully cooked or cured.-Etymology:...
, or small tomato
Tomato
The word "tomato" may refer to the plant or the edible, typically red, fruit which it bears. Originating in South America, the tomato was spread around the world following the Spanish colonization of the Americas, and its many varieties are now widely grown, often in greenhouses in cooler...
es (pomodorini).
Production
Mozzarella di bufala is traditionally produced solely from the milk of the domestic water buffaloWater buffalo
The water buffalo is a domesticated bovid widely kept in Asia, Europe and South America.Water buffalo can also refer to:*Wild water buffalo , the wild ancestor of the domestic water buffalo...
. A whey starter is added from the previous batch that contains thermophilic bacteria, and the milk is left to ripen so the bacteria can multiply. Then, rennet
Rennet
Rennet is a complex of enzymes produced in any mammalian stomach to digest the mother's milk, and is often used in the production of cheese. Rennet contains many enzymes, including a proteolytic enzyme that coagulates the milk, causing it to separate into solids and liquid...
is added to coagulate the milk. After coagulation, the curd is cut into large, 1"–2" pieces, and left to sit so the curds firm up in a process known as healing. After the curd heals, it is further cut into 3/8"–1/2" large pieces. The curds are stirred and heated to separate the curds from the whey. The whey is then drained from the curds and the curds are placed in a hoop to form a solid mass. The curd mass is left until the pH is at around 5.2-5.5, which is the point when the cheese can be stretched. The cheese is then stretched and kneaded to produce a delicate consistency – this process is generally known as pasta filata
Pasta filata
Pasta filata is a technique in the manufacture of a family of Italian cheeses also known in English as stretched-curd, pulled-curd, and plastic-curd cheeses.The cheese-making begins in the normal way...
. According to the Mozzarella di Bufala trade association, "The cheese-maker kneads it with his hands, like a baker making bread, until he obtains a smooth, shiny paste, a strand of which he pulls out and lops off, forming the individual mozzarella." It is then typically formed into ball shapes or in plait
Plait
A plait may refer to:* Plait, also called a braid, intertwined strands of, for example, textile or hair* Plait, now called a pleat, a fold of fabric, used in clothing and upholstery* Plait , a fold in the columella of a gastropod mollusc...
. In Italy, a "rubbery" consistency is generally considered not satisfactory; the cheese is expected to be softer.
Etymology
Mozzarella – which is derived from the NeapolitanNeapolitan language
Neapolitan is the language of the city and region of Naples , and Campania. On October 14, 2008 a law by the Region of Campania stated that the Neapolitan language had to be protected....
dialect spoken in Campania
Campania
Campania is a region in southern Italy. The region has a population of around 5.8 million people, making it the second-most-populous region of Italy; its total area of 13,590 km² makes it the most densely populated region in the country...
– is the diminutive form of mozza (cut), or mozzare (to cut off) derived from the method of working. Scamorza cheese
Scamorza cheese
Scamorza is an Italian cow's milk cheese, similar to mozzarella. It can also be made from other milks, but that is less common.Scamorza is a plastic curd cheese, in which the fresh curd matures in its own whey for several hours to allow acidity to develop by the process of lactose being converted...
is a close relative, which probably derives from "scamozzata" ("without a shirt"), with allusion to the fact that these cheeses have no hard surface covering typical of a dry cured cheese.
The term mozzarella is first found definitively mentioned in 1570, cited in a cookbook by Bartolomeo Scappi
Bartolomeo Scappi
Bartolomeo Scappi was a famous Renaissance chef. His origins had been the subject of speculation, but a recent research shows that he came from the town of Dumenza in Lombardy, according to the inscription on a stone plaque in the church of Luino...
, reading "milk cream, fresh butter, ricotta cheese, fresh mozzarella and milk".
Nutritional data
See also
- List of Italian products with protected designation of origin
- Mozzarella sticksMozzarella sticksMozzarella sticks are elongated pieces of battered or breaded mozzarella cheese. The deep-fried snack is often served at restaurants as an appetizer or as North American pub fare...
- Mozzarella di Bufala CampanaMozzarella di Bufala CampanaBuffalo mozzarella is a mozzarella made from the milk of the domestic water buffalo.-Areas of production:Apart from Italy, its birthplace, buffalo mozzarella is manufactured in many locations around the world...
- Protected Geographical StatusProtected Geographical StatusProtected Geographical Status is a legal framework defined in European Union law to protect the names of regional foods. Protected Designation of Origin , Protected Geographical Indication and Traditional Speciality Guaranteed are distinct regimes of geographical indications within the framework...
- Scamorza cheeseScamorza cheeseScamorza is an Italian cow's milk cheese, similar to mozzarella. It can also be made from other milks, but that is less common.Scamorza is a plastic curd cheese, in which the fresh curd matures in its own whey for several hours to allow acidity to develop by the process of lactose being converted...
- Pizza cheesePizza cheesePizza cheese is a pasteurized process cheese food designed to melt well on pizza while remaining chewy. It is sometimes used on commercially produced pizzas in North America, where some people may mistake it for the more traditional Mozzarella...
- String cheeseString cheeseSeveral different types of cheese are known as string cheese. It is peelable and when peeled, it does so in strings or strips from the larger cheese....
- Oaxaca cheeseOaxaca cheeseQueso Oaxaca is a white, semihard cheese from Mexico, similar to unaged Monterey Jack, but with a mozzarella-like string cheese texture. It is named after the state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico, where it was first made. It is available in several different shapes. It is also known as quesillo...
- BurrataBurrataBurrata is a fresh Italian cheese, made from mozzarella and cream. The outer shell is solid mozzarella while the inside contains both mozzarella and cream, giving it an unusual, soft texture. It is usually served fresh, at room temperature. The name "burrata" means "buttered" in...
External links
- Bocconcini Information; Ingredients & Nutritional Info, Recipes, FAQ & More.
- How to Make Bocconcini – Illustrated Step By Step.
- Video How Mozzarella Cheese is Manufactured
- Step-by-step photo guide to making Mozzarella
- Mozzarella di Bufala Campana trade organization
- The official DOP Consortium site – (Requires Flash)
- Italian Mozzarella
- buffalo mozzarella
Sito di approndimento scientifico sulla mozzarella, e l'allevamento di bufala campana