Meet burrata! The reinterpretation of mozzarella in a creamy tone will absolutely enchant your taste buds

Italy is not only the land of pizza and pasta, but also of cheese.

In addition to the traditional parmesan, gorgonzola or pecorino, burrata has also made its way to us lately.

Why do many people mistake it for a type of mozzarella?

How did the harsh winter affect its creation?

In what ways can her diet be enriched?

You will learn that and much more about this delicious cheese in the following lines.

What is burrata?

Burrata is a fresh cheese from the southern Italian region of Puglia. Many people often confuse it with mozzarella. At first glance, it has a similar appearance and consistency, but only until you cut it open. The harder outer layer hides a soft semi-liquid center, or torn pieces of cheese combined with cream. Most of the time, you will come across bag- or loaf-shaped burrata, which is kept in a special liquid that keeps it supple.

How does burrata taste?

Burrata is very fatty and fresh at the same time. The outer casing is flexible and resembles the taste of classic mozzarella, i.e. slightly soured fresh milk, while the creamy interior has a richer and sweeter taste reminiscent of cream. The name burrata was derived from the Italian word burro, meaning butter. Not because burrata contains butter, but because it can be just as creamy inside.

What does burrata contain?

Due to the content of cream, burrata is quite caloric, contains a high amount of fat and protein. It is not suitable for people who struggle with high cholesterol. The indicated values correspond to 100 grams of fresh burrata.

Among minerals, this cheese is especially rich in calcium, phosphorus and sodium.

In addition, it also contains vitamins A, E and some B vitamins.

What is the difference between burrata and mozzarella?

Both cheeses, which at first glance look very similar, are made from cow’s milk and part of their production process is also the same. The outer covering of burrata, as well as some of the filling, is made using a similar method to mozzarella. You can tell the difference immediately after cutting it open.

While whole mozzarella is compact, burrata reveals its semi-liquid interior. The external sign by which burrata can be recognized immediately is also the shape of a small bag with a kind of small bun on top. This is a residue from the “filling” process, you won’t find anything like that in mozzarella.

While mozzarella comes from the Campania region, where it has been produced since the 12th century, burrata was born in Apulia, specifically in the city of Andria, much later, in 1956.

How was burrata born?

Lorenzo Bianchini’s family is considered the inventor of this type of cheese. In February 1956, an exceptionally strong wave of frost and snow hit the whole of Italy, and Apulia’s Andria was no exception. The weather made transportation very difficult.

Bianchino had milk at his disposal, but due to the difficult situation, it was impossible to transport it anywhere. But then he got the brilliant idea to process the milk and use the resulting cream by sealing it in a “small bag” made of mozzarella. And so burrata was born, then it was used to preserve cream, today it has become a popular product in its own right.

How is burrata made?

In the first stage, the process of making burrata coincides with the production of mozzarella. It starts with raw cow’s milk, which is heated to 35-37°C and then left to ferment in the presence of yeast or lactic enzymes. Then rennet is added. After a few minutes, the cheese maker splits the curd and lets it rest to drain all the whey.

Then the mass is centrifuged in boiling water and used in two ways. One part will form the “outer casing” and the other part will combine with the cream to make the stracciatella. therefore, you may come across the opinion that burrata is actually nothing more than mozzarella with a stracciatella heart.

Anyone familiar with fresh cheese knows that this “semi-liquid interior” of burrata is also sold separately. In this case, it is called stracciatella, from the Italian “stracciato” or torn.

How to eat burrata?

There is only one rule for using burrata in the kitchen – never cook it and serve it as much as possible at room temperature so that its flavor can stand out better. Serve it either as the main component of the dish or in combination with vegetables or prosciutto. Ideally, it should be served with a dry white wine with a fruity aroma.

• In summer, burrata is best served as part of a variety of tomato salad . You can easily replace it with traditional mozzarella in a caprese salad. If you want to try a bolder combination, you can prepare a salad with burrata, peaches and basil.

• Another classic is burrata on bruschetta, or a slice of toasted bread with extra virgin olive oil, garlic, fresh tomatoes and basil. There are literally an infinite number of possible variations of bruschetta , burrata makes most of them special.

• Burrata can also be added to warm dishes such as pasta or risotto, but only at the very end of their preparation. How to prepare creamy Italian risotto ? In addition to using the right kind of rice, a step called “mantecatura” or adding a dollop of butter and Parmesan cheese to the finished risotto after it has been removed from the stove is also important. Butter can be replaced very easily with burrata.

• In the case of pasta, burrata is also added at the end, actually at the moment of serving. It is especially excellent with simple recipes for spaghetti with tomato sauce or pasta with pesto.

• In recent years, the combination of burrata and shrimp recipes has become increasingly popular in Italian cuisine. The natural sweetness of the shrimp is perfectly complemented by the softness of the burrata. The result is a delicious taste that can be supplemented with orange.

Burrata storage

Fresh burrata has a relatively short shelf life. Store it in the refrigerator in the intact original packaging. After opening, it is advisable to consume it as soon as possible. Alternatively, even after opening, but uncut, it can be kept in an airtight container with the original pickle for approximately three days. Due to the high water content, it is not advisable to freeze burrata.