Mozzarella is often used as a pizza topping.
Mozzarella is an Italian cheese traditionally made in and around the Naples area from the milk of water buffalo (mozzarella di bufala) but is now more commonly made from cow's milk or a combination of cow's and goat's milk. An firm, creamy unripened cheese with a distinctive milky taste and a mildly sour aftertaste, it is famously used as a topping on pizzas and has a stretchy, stringy consistency when melted.
History
According to popular legend the very first mozzarella cheese was made by accident when a pile of cheese curds fell into a bucket of boiling hot water in a factory near Naples. Workers noticed that the boiling curds had a stringy consistency similar to cheese. In the days before refrigeration -- and as it was made from unpasteurized milk -- transporting mozzarella further than the southern part of Italy before it spoiled was impossible, so it was very much a regional delicacy.
Manufacturing
Nowadays, in order to keep up with demand, mozzarella is made in cheese factories all over the world, most commonly from cow's milk. Mild, milky and creamy white in color, it is made by dipping cheese curd into hot whey and stretching and shaping it to achieve the soft, bouncy consistency. A difficult cheese to make at home, it must be made using unpasteurized and unhomogenized milk. During the fermentation process fluctuations to the optimal heating temperature of the milk will result in a spoiled batch.
Cow's Milk vs. Water Buffalo Milk
Cheese purists believe that the only cheese that should bear the name mozzarella is the one made from water buffalo milk. In some cases a distinction is made between the two, with the cow's milk version being referred to as "fior di latte." Buffalo mozzarella also contains a higher percentage of fat than mozzarella made with cow's milk. A portion of buffalo mozzarella contains 52 per cent fat -- a much higher level than its cow's milk counterpart. This results in a softer and creamier cheese.
Preparation
Fresh mozzarella is packaged in round, fist-size balls in plastic bags filled with water to keep it fresh. As it is too soft to grate, mozzarella is cut or torn into thin slices to use on the top of pizzas, on burgers and meat, or in a salad served with salad leaves and olive oil. Mozzarella is high in protein and a good source of zinc, phosphorous, calcium and Vitamins B12 and A.
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