Mozarella - A curd cheese originally from Italy

In Focus: Mozzarella

In the food world, there are few things as synonymous with summer as a salad of fresh tomatoes, basil and mozzarella, lightly lubricated with a drizzling of a fine olive oil and finished with a grind of coarse ground black pepper.

Mozzarella is made with both water buffalo and cows' milk and is available in many formats. More of that later; but what is mozzarella and what were its origins?

What is Mozzarella?

Mozzarella is a curd cheese, originating in Italy, that is not aged like most cheeses and is actually best when eaten within hours of its making. Achieving this is tricky, however, unless you happen to live close to a farm and so most of the mozzarella available to the general market today is preserved in whey, the curd's natural environment, or brine.

The process of making mozzarella is called pasta filata, which means the curds are heated in water or whey until they form strings and become elastic in texture. 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." The curds are then formed into round balls to make fresh mozzarella cheese.

There is a story that mozzarella was first made when cheese curds fell by accident into a container of hot water in a cheese factory near Naples. Since there is a history of new cheeses being created by mistake, there well may be some truth in the tale! It is more likely, however, that it developed as a bi-product of ricotta and quite possibly dates back to the 12th century. The name mozzarella is derived from the Italian words mozza (cut), or mozzare (to cut off).

Mozzarella was first made near Naples from the rich milk of water buffalo which, it is suggested, were introduced to the country as early as the 7th century. Because it was made from unpasteurized milk and because there was little or no refrigeration, the cheese had a very short shelf-life and seldom left the area near Naples where it was made. As cheese technology, refrigeration and transportation systems developed, the cheese spread to other regions of Italy.

However, it is widely accepted that the best artisan produced buffalo mozzarella is still to be found south of Naples, near Battipaglia and Caserta, where small factories continue ancient traditions by making buffalo mozzarella fresh daily for local customers.

Key Ingredient

Mozzarella is a key ingredient in the Neapolitan's most copied food creation, pizza, which was introduced in Naples about three hundred years ago.

Mozzarella is rich in calcium, high in protein, possesses a high vitamin and mineral content and is highly nutritious. It is either eaten fresh or is used in cooking and many forms are available.

For salads, the most popular line is Mozzarella di Bufala. Buffalo milk mozzarella has a much more tasty, more lactic flavour than its cows' milk cousin and so is much better for this purpose.

We can also offer you two smaller cow mozzarella balls which can be used for many purposes, but are particularly good for canapés or salad decoration. The 1kg pack of Bocconcini, containing 100 x 10g Bocconcino balls, has become incredibly popular since its launch in 2004 and is now a staple.

Further suggested uses for mozzarella include canapés and scattering on dishes in advance of grilling.

Article courtesy of The Cheese Cellar Company