The International Dictionary of Food and Cooking defines this cheese as 'a soft spun-curd cheese similar to Mozzarella made from cow's milk' that is 'sed particularly for pizzas and contains somewhat less water than real Mozzarella'.

Several variants have been specifically formulated and prepared for use on pizza, such as low-moisture mozzarella cheese. Ovolini refers to smaller-sized bocconcini, and sometimes to cherry bocconcini. Mozzarella is also available in smoked ( affumicata) and reduced-moisture, packaged varieties. When twisted to form a plait, mozzarella is called treccia. In this last form it is often used to prepare dishes cooked in the oven, such as lasagna and pizza. It is soaked in salt water ( brine) or whey, and other times citric acid is added and it is partly dried (desiccated), its structure being more compact. Mozzarella, recognised as a Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG/STG) since 1996 in the EU, is available fresh, usually rolled into a ball of 80 to 100 grams (2.8 to 3.5 oz) or about 6 cm (2.4 in) in diameter, and sometimes up to 1 kg (2.2 lb) or about 12 cm (4.7 in) in diameter. Monsignor Alicandri states that in the 12th century the Monastery of Saint Lorenzo, in Capua, Campania, offered pilgrims a piece of bread with 'mozza'. An earlier reference is also often cited as describing mozzarella. The term is first mentioned in 1570, cited in a cookbook by Bartolomeo Scappi, reading 'milk cream, fresh butter, ricotta cheese, fresh mozzarella and milk'. Mozzarella, derived from the Southern Italian dialects spoken in Apulia, Calabria, Campania, Abruzzo, Molise, Basilicata, Lazio, and Marche, is the diminutive form of mozza ('cut'), or mozzare ('to cut off') derived from the method of working. Mozzarella is used for most types of pizza and several pasta dishes or served with sliced tomatoes and basil in Caprese salad. Low-moisture mozzarella can be kept refrigerated for up to a month, though some shredded low-moisture mozzarella is sold with a shelf life of up to six months. Due to its high moisture content, it is traditionally served the day after it is made but can be kept in brine for up to a week or longer when sold in vacuum-sealed packages. Mozzarella ( English: / ˌ m ɒ t s ə ˈ r ɛ l ə/, Italian: Neapolitan: muzzarella ) is a southern Italian cheese traditionally made from Italian buffalo's milk by the pasta filata method.įresh mozzarella is generally white but when seasoned it turns to a light yellow depending on the animal's diet. Italian Mediterranean buffalo traditionally cattle cows in all 167 Italian regions in some areas also sheep and goat

Fresh mozzarella