Mozzarella

Mozzarella(English:/ˌmɒtsəˈrɛlə/,Italian:[mottsaˈrɛlla];Neapolitan:muzzarella,Neapolitan:[muttsaˈrɛllə]) is asemi-softnon-agedcheeseprepared using thepasta filata('stretched-curd') method with origins fromsouthern Italy.
It is prepared with cow's milk or buffalo milk, taking the following names:
Fresh mozzarella is white, but the occasional yellow or brown colour of mozzarella comes from the enzyme R110.Due to its high moisture content, it is traditionally served the day after it is madebut can be kept inbrinefor up to a weekor longer when sold invacuum-sealed packages. Fresh mozzarella can be heard to make a distinct squeaky sound when it is chewed or rubbed.
Low-moisture mozzarella can be kept refrigerated for up to a month,although some shredded low-moisture mozzarella is sold with a shelf life of up to six months.Mozzarella is used for most types ofpizzaand several pasta dishes or served with slicedtomatoesandbasilinCaprese salad.
Mozzarella, derived from the southern Italian dialects spoken inApulia,Calabria,Campania,Abruzzo,Molise,Basilicata,Lazio, andMarche, is the diminutive form ofmozza, 'cut', ormozzare, 'to cut off', derived from the method of working.The term is first mentioned in 1570, cited in a cookbook byBartolomeo Scappi, reading "milk cream, fresh butter, ricotta cheese, fresh mozzarella and milk".An earlier reference of Monsignor Alicandri is also often cited as describing mozzarella, which states that in the 12th century the Monastery of San Lorenzo, inCapua, Campania, Alicandri offered pilgrims a piece of bread withmozza.
Fresh mozzarella, recognised as atraditional speciality guaranteed(TSG) since 1996 in theEuropean Union,is available usually rolled into a ball of 80 to 100 grams (2.8 to 3.5 oz) or about 6 cm (2.4 in) in diameter, and sometimes up to 1 kg (2.2 lb) or about 12 cm (4.7 in) in diameter. It is soaked insalt water(brine) orwhey.
Ifcitric acidis added and it is partly dried (desiccated), its structure becomes more compact. In this last form it is often used to prepare dishes cooked in the oven, such aslasagnaandpizza.
Fresh mozzarella balls are made in multiple sizes for various uses; often the name refers to the size. Sizes smaller than the typical fist-sized ball includeovolini, which are about the size of a hen's egg, and may be used whole as part of a composed salad or sliced for topping a small sandwich such as aslider.
Bocconcini ('small mouthful'), sometimes calleduova di bufala('buffalo eggs'), are approximately bite-sized; a common use is alternating them with cherry tomatoes on a skewer for an appetiser.Ciliegine('small cherries') are cherry-sized.Perleneare the smallest commercially produced and are often added to salads or into hot soups or pasta dishes just before serving.These balls are packaged inwheyor water, have a spongytexture, and absorb flavours.
Bocconcini of water buffalo's milk are still produced in the provinces ofNaples,Caserta, andSalerno, asbocconcini alla panna di bufala, in a process that involves mixing freshly producedmozzarella di bufala campanaPDOwith fresh cream. Abocconcino di bufala campanaPDO is also made, which is simplymozzarella di bufala campanaPDO, produced in the egg-sized format.
When twisted to form a plait, mozzarella is calledtreccia.
After the curd heals, it is further cut into 1–1.5 cm (0.4–0.6 in) 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 and kneaded to produce a delicate consistency—this process is generally known aspasta filata. According to themozzarella di bufala campanatrade 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."
In Italy, the cheese is produced nationwide using Italian buffalo's milk under the government's official namemozzarella di latte di bufala, becauseItalian buffaloare present in all Italian regions. Only selectedmozzarella di bufala campanaPDOis a style made from the milk of Italian buffalo raised in designated areas ofCampania,Lazio,Apulia, andMolise. 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) underEuropean Unionlawand UK law.
Mozzarella ofsheep milk, sometimes calledmozzarella pecorella, is typical ofSardinia,Abruzzo, andLazio, where it is also calledmozzapecora. It is worked with the addition of therennetof lamb.
Mozzarella ofgoat milkis of recent origin and the producers are still few.
Several variants have been specifically formulated and prepared for use on pizza, such as low-moisture mozzarella cheese.TheInternational Dictionary of Food and Cookingdefines this cheese as "a soft spun-curd cheese similar to mozzarella made from cow's milk" that is "[u]sed particularly for pizzas and [that] contains somewhat less water than real mozzarella".
Low-moisture part-skim mozzarella, widely used in the food service industry, has a lowgalactosecontent, per some consumers' preference for cheese on pizza to have low or moderatebrowning.Somepizza cheesesderived from skim mozzarella variants were designed not to require aging or the use of starter.Others can be made through the direct acidification of milk.
Mozzarella is also available smoked (affumicata).
Çaycuma mozzarella cheese and Kandıra mozzarella cheese areTurkish cheesesmade of buffalo's milk.
Mozzarella received atraditional specialities guaranteed(TSG) certification from theEuropean Unionin 1998, and in 2022 the product specification was updated for the namemozzarella tradizionale.This protection scheme requires thatmozzarella tradizionalesold in the European Union is produced according to a traditional recipe. The TSG certification does not specify the source of the milk, so any type of milk can be used, but it is speculated that it is normally made fromwhole milk.
Different variants of this dairy product are included in the list ofprodotti agroalimentari tradizionali]](PAT) of theMinistry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies(MIPAAF), with the following denominations: