Mozzarella

Mozzarella is an Italian cheese of heated curd and whey, stretched and kneaded by hand, not unlike a baker preparing dough, until the product becomes a smooth paste. A hunk is then pulled out and cropped off—mozzare means to cut—which is formed into a ball. Mozzarella's flavor is subtle, not unlike a creamy glass of milk, perhaps with salt from the brine and hints of grass.

In the US, we can find mozzarella in two basic forms: fresh, a moist orb, or in a prepackaged low-moisture form. While fresh mozzarella is traditionally made to be eaten the day it is made, or within a week if preserved in brine and citric acid, the prepackaged variant has a shelf life of months. It is in this low-moisture form that mozzarella generally finds its way onto American-style pizzas and other baked dishes, but it is the fresh variant where the cheese shines.

Even labeled "fresh," however, mozzarella varies greatly. More likely than not, the fresh mozzarella sold even in higher-end US shops is a lower-moisture product, processed and made of pasteurized cow's milk. These cheeses, while decent, are rubbery and firm, almost elastic in tactile response. The real deal is moist—so much so that the inside of the orb approaches the consistency of yogurt.

One of Italy's greatest delicacies is fresh mozzarella made from the milk of water buffalo (a different genus than American buffalo, which are bison). Water buffalo were introduced to Italy by way of Asia in the Middle Ages. Today, the buffalo are bred and mozzarella is made from their milk primarily in the Campania region, most notably in the provinces of Benevento and Caserta.

Mozzarella from water buffalo milk is softer and moister than cow's milk mozzarella, but its most profound quality is its taste: slightly pungent, with grassy notes and high butterfat, yet still fresh and creamy. Once you enjoy the uniqueness of buffalo mozzarella, the cow variety grows staid.

Mozarella three ways (with a repeat)

We can classify mozzarella into four types:

• processed, low-moisture mozzarella—popular in the US, the kind commonly found on pizza—eschew, and use well-drained fresh mozzarella instead
• mozzarella fior di latte—fresh, cow's milk mozzarella—unfortunately, moisture content (and quality) varies
• mozzarella di bufala—fresh, water buffalo's milk mozzarella
• mozzarella di bufala campana—fresh, water buffalo's milk mozzarella from the DOP-protected Campania region—the real deal

You can also find mozzarella affumicata, smoked mozzarella, which I feel is tantamount to melting nacho cheese over foie gras.

Here are three delicious small-proprietor mozzarella offerings available at Formaggio Kitchen and, if lucky, local to you:

• Fiore di Nonno Fresh Mozzarella—a mozzarella fior di latte—a subtle, slightly-sweet mozzarella from pasteurized cow's milk, soft but solid texture, fresh milk taste, made here in Massachusetts
• Bufala di Vermont—a mozzarella di bufala—sweet and delicious, with the grassy note of water buffalo lactation, and a firm, salty exterior and a creamy, soft interior, made in Vermont, this is my favorite
• Mozzrella di Bufala from the Campania cooperative—a mozzarella di bufala campana—similar in taste to the Vermont offering, but with stronger grass and soil notes suggestive of the terroir, and a firm shell progressing to a yogurt-like center, made in Campania

In sampling these three cheeses, I prepared mozzarella three ways:

• Insalata Caprese—sungold tomatoes, mozzarella fior di latte, basil chiffonade, olive oil, aceto balsamico tradizionale di Modena, sea salt, black pepper
• "Caprese"—heirloom tomato, mozzarella di bufala campana, basil leaves, olive oil, aceto balsamico tradizionale di Modena, sea salt, black pepper
• Insalata broccoli e mozzarella—broccoli, caramelized shallot, mozzarella di bufala, toasted pine nuts, olive oil, sea salt, black pepper

Bon Appetit.