Stracciatella Cheese

Stracciatella Cheese

 Stracciatella is a fresh cow's milk cheese, a traditional specialty of Puglia in southern Italy. It is made with whole fresh cream and cheese strands. It is nothing more or less than the creamy part of the burrata, the greediest part, the one with which the mozzarella is garnished. It consists of mozzarella threads (straccia) and cream. The taste is therefore sweet and very creamy. A wonderful cream cheese that is served as a starter with salad or ham.

Stracciatella cheese takes its name from the Italian word “stracciato” (torn, shredded) and refers to the fibrous, shredded structure of the cheese. The soft and creamy consistency is perhaps the most representative, most aesthetic feature of Stracciatella cheese, which, however, normally wins over the palate with its delicate and incredibly fresh taste. The stracciatella is made from fine mozzarella strips and processed with fresh cream. To be enjoyed with your eyes closed, plain or with a drizzle of Apulian olive oil (oliarola, peranzana or coratina), a twist of ground black pepper, on a nice slice of toasted farmhouse bread.

 As a starter, it can be accompanied by a few cherry tomatoes from the garden, ripened in the sun rather than in a greenhouse, a glass of a great white Apulian wine, like the Luna from the house Conti Zecca and some artisanal taralli from the house Danieli.

 Features

Stracciatella cheese is a spun cheese made from cow's milk, originating from the province of Bari in Italy. It is a fresh, white cheese. It is produced all year round, although the spring and summer months are considered the best for obtaining an exceptional quality.

Stracciatella cheese is similar to mozzarella, but is softer and creamier. The stracciatella is the cheese that is filled into the heart of the burrata. It consists of mozzarella threads (straccia) and cream. The taste is therefore sweet and very creamy. A wonderful cream cheese that is served as a starter with salad or ham. A fresh and fruity white wine goes well with this.

 Appearance and Taste

Stracciatella cheese is about the size of a fist and similar to mozzarella, but is softer and contains more liquid. The dough is fibrous and the individual layers are clearly visible. The taste is sweet and sour with a weak aroma of lactic acid bacteria. 

In addition to the famous ice cream and the stracciatella di bufala, Stracciatella cheese is also the name of a typical Italian enema soup, in which battered egg is poured into hot meat broth while stirring, causing the egg to coagulate into threads or shreds.

The shell of Stracciatella cheese even consists of ordinary mozzarella. But their creamy secret is hidden inside. If you cut a Stracciatella cheese, fresh, thick cream and plucked mozzarella pour out of it. An incomparable feast for the senses for gourmets and connoisseurs.

Like the mozzarella, Stracciatella cheese is produced using the so-called Filata process. However, this specialty is always made from cow's milk. After the milk is thickened by rennet or lactic acid, whey and curd are then separated. In the Filata process, this break is poured with hot water and kneaded into a dough with a fibrous structure. This kneaded cheese is divided into small portions for the mozzarella and then filled for the burrata as described above.

The taste of Stracciatella cheese is similar to that of the mozzarella, mild and a little sour. The consistency is creamy to creamy and in this combination simply incomparable. The fine taste of Stracciatella cheese goes well with selected, strong aromas: whether fine fruity, hearty herbs or a little spiciness over pepper or arugula.

However, do not mix too many flavors. The more plainly you enjoy burrata, the more you appreciate its fine aroma. Stracciatella cheese beginners are recommended a combination of a little olive oil, freshly ground pepper, and Mediterranean herbs. Thyme, basil or oregano go well together or mixed well with a ball of burrata.

 Production of the artisan Stracciatella:

To make Stracciatella cheese, pasteurized cow milk is heated to about 35 ° C and then thickened with rennet for 20 to 30 minutes. The thicket is then crushed to walnut size and then left to mature in the whey for a few hours. The stracciatella cheese curd is then drawn and shaped in hot water using the Filata process and finally immersed in brine. Stracciatella cheese is then ready to eat, and there is no maturation.

In some cases, the production involves first rennet the milk. The curd obtained is cut and then soaked in very hot water (80-90°). It is then spun. Spinning consists of lifting and pulling the paste several times, using a bowl and a stick, until a homogeneous mixture is obtained. After being spun, it is spread out, then frayed by hand and then covered with fresh cream and sold as such within 3-5 days.

 Culinary recommendation

If you try Stracciatella cheese on a hot bruschetta, you will never forget the excellent taste. Also recommended on pasta, pizza, as a delicious accompaniment to a salad or muesli, with the fruit salad, the Filata cheese becomes an unforgettable taste.

* Filata means various types of cheese that have a special manufacturing process. Here, the broken mass is acidified and scalded and drawn into long threads (closely related to the brewed cheese).

 Shelf life

Approx. 14 days, since the production is done without preservatives, you should not let the cheese wait too long for your taste buds.

Stracciatella Cheese Pugliese is a Gourmet Italian cheese that has the unquestionable quality to assure the possibility to only get the most precious part of the burrata. The result is really appetizing and inviting, it brings memories of a cheerful creamy spaghetti dish. It’s a delicious summer dish – but not only – and it’s intended to stand out on deli counters.

Suggestion: Stracciatella Cheese is very appealing if served with vegetables like turnip tops, zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers and broad beans. Use it on pasta and wherever you feel it would be great on!

8.8 ounce (250 gram) - 2 Pieces - WEIGHT APPROXIMATES

Stracciatella Cheese Ingredients: Pasteurized cow’s milk, citric acid, rennet and salt

Packaging: Plastic Container

Flavor: Buttery, milky
Texture: Soft, creamy
Color: White
Aroma: Fresh, milky
Region: Puglia

Product of Italy