hiStory of Mozzarella cheese

Mozzarella cheese first made in Naples Italy region. Mozzarella cheese was made of buffallo milk.
Years ago there were many buffallo used to transport many things and plow. Mozzarella cheese is
accidently made because of someone who dropped some curds into a bucket of boiling water.
Finally mozzarella cheese was made.

How mozzarella cheese producted

Mozzarella di bufala is traditionally produced solely from the milk of the domestic Buffalo. A whey
starter is added from the previous batch that contains thermophilic bacteria, and the milk is left to
ripen so the bacteria can multiply. Then, rennet is added to coagulate the milk. After coagulation,
the curd is cut into large, 1"–2" pieces, and left to sit so the curds firm up in a process known as
healing.

After the curd heals, it is further cut into 3/8"–1/2" large pieces. The curds are stirred and heated to
separate the curds from the whey. The whey is then drained from the curds and the curds are placed
in a hoop to form a solid mass. The curd mass is left until the pH is at around 5.2–5.5, which is the
point when the cheese can be stretchedThe cheese is then stretched and kneaded to produce a
delicate consistency—this process is generally known as pasta filata. According to the Mozzarella di
Bufala trade association, "The cheese-maker kneads it with his hands, like a baker making bread,
until he obtains a smooth, shiny paste, a strand of which he pulls out and lops off, forming the
individual mozzarella." It is then typically formed into ball shapes or in plait. In Italy, a "rubbery"
consistency is generally considered not satisfactory the cheese is expected to be softer.

Type of mozzarella cheese

In 1996 mozzarella was recognised as a Specialità Tradizionale Garantita (STG).

Fior di latte (written also as one word) designates mozzarella made from cow (and not water buffalo)
milk, which greatly lowers its cost. Outside Italy "mozzarella" not clearly labeled as deriving from
water buffalo can be presumed to derive from cow milk.

Mozzarella is available fresh or partly dried. Fresh it is usually rolled into a ball of 80 to 100 grams
(2.8 to 3.5 oz), or about 6 centimetres (2.4 in) diameter, sometimes up to 1 kilogram (2.2 lb), or
about 12 centimetres (4.7 in) diameter, and soaked in salt water (brine) or whey, sometimes with
citric acid added. Partly dried (desiccated) its structure is more compact, and in this form it is often
used to prepare dishes cooked in the oven, such as lasagna and pizza.

When twisted to form a plait mozzarella is called treccia. Mozzarella is also available in smoked
(affumicata) and reduced-moisture packaged varieties. "Stuffed mozzarella", a new trend as of 2006,
may feature olives or cooked or raw ham, or small tomatoes (pomodorini).

Several variants have been specifically formulated and prepared for use on pizza, such as low-
moisture Mozzarella cheese. 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 “used particularly for
pizzas and that contains somewhat less water than real Mozzarella“.
Low-moisture part-skim mozzarella has a low galactose content, per some consumers' preference
for cheese on pizza to have low or moderate browning .Some pizza cheeses derived from skim
mozzarella variants were designed not to require aging or the use of starter. Others can be made
through the direct acidification of milk.