Cheesy goodness: the difference between Fiordilatte and Buffalo Mozzarella.

The pulled curd cheeses are one of the cultural reserves of the Italian dairy tradition, particularly in the Southern regions. ’A mozzarè remains the most identifiable cheese in the world of our country. Pizza has made it the most imitated Italian cheese in the world, with sometimes decidedly embarrassing results.

But let's start with the definition of pulled curd. What is it? Basically, it is a category of cheeses where the production technique involves the maturation of curd in hot, acidic whey for several hours to demineralize the curd and give it plasticity. The curd is then stretched in hot water at 70–90 degrees to obtain the desired shapes. Among the products that belong to this category, there is not only the mozzarella as we know it, but also burrate, scamorze, caciocavalli, Provolone, and Ragusano.

The most beautiful process in the production of mozzarella is undoubtedly the stretching and shaping of the final cheese. Two moments that are identified in the skill of the artisan and their manual dexterity. The use of hands is the real magic of these cheeses. The shaping and stretching are ancient processes that are repeated daily, passed down from generation to generation.

In artisanal productions, the curd is stretched with the help of a wooden stick. Once the stretching operation is completed, it is time to shape it, depending on the final form and the type of cheese we want to obtain. It takes strong arms and calloused, muscular hands to achieve the best possible product.

The most well-known mozzarella in Italian production is the classic fiordilatte, which is also certified STG for all Italian production. It is made with cow's milk and can come in various sizes, from ciliegino to the whole piece of 500g. Then there are the mozzarellas from the Campania and Lazio regions, equipped with a DOP, such as Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP, the true queen of pulled curd cheeses.

Buffalo milk is very suitable for stretching and, thanks to its fat content, offers products with slow maturation and a beautiful creaminess on the palate with a thick crust that preserves all its flavor. Then there are the Apulian mozzarella shapes, such as the braided mozzarella. In particular, the treccine, which specifically identifies that region and are usually always made with cow's milk.

It is important to spend a word on the storage of this product because too often it indisputably affects its structure and palatability. So how should we store mozzarella once we have bought it?

First of all: is it better to buy small or large sizes? It depends on how you use them. For example, if you want to use ciliegina mozzarella, it is probably better to stick with those made from cow's milk that maintain greater freshness and can be used at lower temperatures, for example, to stuff summer salads. However, if you really want to use buffalo mozzarella, remember that size is important and that pleasure comes only from the maturation of this cheese, which has large sizes as its preferred type.

As for the buffalo mozzarella, we always recommend a size of at least 250g: this way you can also savor the aromatic power released by a form that remains in its whey to mature for a few days. When you buy buffalo mozzarella, do not put it in the refrigerator! Always keep it in a cool place but not too cool; 15 degrees are ideal. If it is high quality, buffalo mozzarella can last up to 5–6 days without ever being refrigerated. The crust thickens, and the inside becomes creamy, forming a savory whey that gives it greater aromatic intensity. Putting buffalo mozzarella in the fridge means "killing" it and depriving us of all its goodness.

How should we prepare mozzarella before serving it on the table?
Let’s say we have taken a mozzarella from the cheesemaker's counter or even from the supermarket. If we want to savor all its pleasantness right away, without letting it mature, whether it is cow or buffalo, let's prepare a pot with water and heat it to about 70-80 degrees without reaching boiling. Then take the mozzarella, remove it from its whey, place it in a transparent food bag, and leave it in the hot water for 2-3 minutes. Remove it from the hot water and cool it down with some cold tap water, still keeping it in its bag. Bring it to a temperature of about 25 degrees: at this point, we have ensured that all its internal milk is released and the curd stretches better. It will be a whole different mozzarella. Give it a try!

Bernardo Pasquali

S&M