Week 3: Soft Cheese (Mozzarella)

A Brief History of Mozzarella Cheese

Mozzarella cheese was first created in the region of Naples, Italy, from the milk of water buffalos. The cheese was later spread throughout Italy as refrigeration technologies advanced. Fresh mozzarella is usually packaged in a vacuum-sealed container in a liquid, “latte,” to keep the cheese moist.

In the U.S. today, there are two main types of mozzarella produced: low moisture (moisture content <50%) and high moisture (moisture content >52%). Low moisture mozzarella is typically used on pizzas and more readily produced. High moisture is “soft, moist, and more perishable.” Mozzarella cheese made in the U.S. is typically made from cow’s milk or a mixture of cow’s and goat’s milk, as water buffalo milk is less available. Buffalo mozzarella is mainly imported from Italy or South America.

How to Make Mozzarella Cheese

There are two ways to make mozzarella: the acidification of the milk to form curds OR the culture/rennet method. In both, raw milk is pasteurized and then coagulated to form curds.

When the curds reach a pH of 5.2, they are cut into small pieces and mixed with hot water. The curds are then strung into long ropes of cheese – this “stringing of the curd” process is also used for cheese such as provolone or scamorza. The most important part of this process is deciding when the cheese is ready to be strung; if you wait too long, your cheese is mushy but if you string too early your cheese is dry and tough. A springy and elastic curd is essential! Once the cheese achieves a smooth, elastic texture the mozzarella is rolled into balls and placed in cold water to hold their shape.

This cheese-making process typically takes about 8 hours. The cheese is not aged, but best eaten a couple hours after it is made. The freshest mozzarella is soft and delicate with a mild, slightly sour taste.

Highlights from my Mozzarella Tasting

When participants were asked to describe in a couple words how the cheese feels in their mouth, these were their responses…

• smooth, pleasant
• chewy and squishy
• soft and cold, it spreads across my tongue in a nice way
• gelatinous
• creamy, smooth
• similar texture to cottage cheese

When asked to rate the texture of the cheese from 0-10 (dislike-like), the average rating was a 10.

To see the complete results from this tasting, click this link!