Mozzarella – A Cheese for the Ages

The story goes that mozzarella was invented by accident, when cheese curd fell into a bucket of hot water in Naples, Italy. The Italians soon found out that not only was this cheese tasty, it was delicious in many regional dishes, like lasagna. Thus, the love affair with mozzarella had begun.

Mozzarella in the Italian language is a general term for cheese. This term is used for cheeses that are made using a spinning and cutting process. If the word mozzarella is broken down into a verb in the Italian language it is mozzare, which means to cut.

Mozzarella was first made in Naples, Italy with the milk of local water buffalo. Since the milk that was used was not pasteurized, the cheese spoiled in a few days. Hence, why mozzarella was not a well-known cheese out side of southern Italy until the invention of refrigeration. Now mozzarella is readily available all over the world.

There are four different types of mozzarella that are now made all over the world. The first is Mozzarella di Bufala or commonly known in English as Buffalo Mozzarella. This type of cheese is made from water buffalo milk. The second is mozzarella fior di latte that is made from the milk of cows. This mozzarella can be made with pasteurized or unpasteurized cow milk. Low moisture mozzarella is made from whole or part skim milk. Low moisture mozzarella is one of the most common forms of mozzarella that is used in the United States. Then there is smoked mozzarella, which is a low moisture cheese that has been smoked with natural wood chips. After being smoked it has a light brown color and is then lightly salted.

Fresh mozzarella has a very different texture and tastes then the more common low moisture mozzarella that is consumed in the Unites States. Fresh mozzarella has a mild milky flavor and the texture is soft and spongy. This form of mozzarella has a short shelf life. While the low moisture mozzarella can last up to a month and has a firmer texture.

Mozzarella cheese has changed the face of Italian cuisine forever. Many Italian dishes such as pizza and lasagna would not be the same without it. The thought of making any of these dishes without this tasty cheese would be a Cardinal sin that even the Pope would not forgive. No matter if the mozzarella is smoked or fresh, the culinary world would not be the same without it.