Mozzarella

Mozzarella is a generic term for the several kinds of Italian fresh cheese 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 unpasteurized water buffalo's milk; mozzarella di bufala campana made only from Campania's buffalo milk; mozzarella fior di latte made from fresh pasteurized or unpasteurized cow's milk; and mozzarella made from mixtures, sometimes smoked, and those stored in preservatives.^*.

Fresh mozzarella is usually served alone the day it is made as it does not keep beyond 12 or 24 hours. Mozzarella of several kinds are also used for most types of pizza (more compact lower water content kinds) or served with sliced tomatoes and basil in Insalata caprese (ideally fresh di bufala).

Types

The mozzarella di bufala campana (Dop 1996) is a particular type of mozzarella; it's the best for flavour or quality and it's protected by European DOP. It is a raw material in original neapolitan Pizza instead of mozzarella made with pasteurized cow's milk.

Mozzarella is available fresh; it is usually rolled in the shape of a ball of 80 to 100 grams (6 cm diameter), some kinds up to 1 kilogram (about 12 cm diameter), and soaked in salted water, sometimes with added citric acid, until sold.

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. Another difference is that fior di latte has more fats and less water than mozzarella. This makes it more suitable as a basic component for pizza, while mozzarella would almost completely melt in whey when baked.

When slightly desiccated, the structure gets more compact then it's better used to prepare dishes cooked in the oven, for example lasagna.

When twisted to form a plait it is called treccia with different lengths.

It is also available in smoked (also called provola) and reduced-moisture packaged varieties. To preserve natural consistency (for no more than a couple of days), fresh mozzarella is delivered in its own liquid (whey).

In this last period there are many other types like "stuffed mozzarella", filled with olives and cooked or raw ham, as well as small tomatoes (pomodorini).

Production

The production of mozzarella involves the mixture of curd with heated whey, followed by stretching and kneading to produce a delicate consistency -- this process is generally known as pasta filata. According to the Mozzarella di Bufala trade association, "The cheesemaker 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." Mozzarella di Bufala Campana trade organization (Retrieved May 8, 2005) 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.

The origin of the name

It has been said that the name "mozzarella", which is clearly derived from southern Italian dialects, was the diminutive form of mozza (cut), or mozzare (to cut off) derived from the method of working.^* Other theories describe its origins as a minor preparation of "scamozza" (Scamorza cheese), which in its turn 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.

It is alternatively argued that the cheese originated in a 12th century monastery by Monsignor Alicandri, whose members gave out homemade "mozza" or "provatura" on bread to visitors. These handouts were probably buffalo-milk "ricotta", from which modern mozzarella probably developed as a by-product. The term "mozzarella" is mentioned in cookbooks dating from the 16th century.

Nutritional data

Amount of nutrient in 100g of edible portion

Food: Cheese, mozzarella, whole milk

Protein: 22.17 g

Fats: 22.35 g

Carbohydrates: 2.19 g

Energy: 300 kcal

Sugars, total: 1.03 g

Calcium, Ca: 505 mg

Phosphorus, P: 354 mg

Potassium, K: 76 mg

Sodium, Na: 627 mg

External links

Mozzarella di Bufala Campana trade organization

Italian cheeses | Pizza | cow's-milk cheeses

Gourt Home::Gourt :: Mozzarella

Types

Production

The origin of the name

Nutritional data

See also

External links