Mozzarella is a soft, stringy cheese from the pasta filata family, which includes other cheeses like Queso Oaxaca and Caciocavallo. Pasta filata translates to “spun paste”, referring to the method of kneading and pulling used to create the distinctive mozzarella balls we find at the grocery store. All cheeses are made in the same general way. They start out their life as milk from a cow, goat, sheep, or even a buffalo, and once all water is removed it leaves behind a cheese. From there, different processes are used to create all of the cheeses we have come to know and love. Mozzarella is a fresh cheese, meaning that it is meant to be eaten fairly soon after being formed, and usually has a mild, slightly sour taste.
Mozzarella and Pizza: A Perfect Pairing
Mozzarella is the most prevalent cheese used to make pizzas, and there’s a very good – and very scientific – reason for that. You see, when the mozzarella is heated in the oven, all of its water content comes to a boil, and then evaporates. This process creates a bubble within the cheese that grows until it pops, releasing the newly formed steam and allowing the cheese to brown. Other types of cheese have either too much oil or too little water content to form the bubbles needed to allow the cheese to brown properly. The chemistry of mozzarella makes it an essential base for any pizza.
History of Mozzarella
Mozzarella was first developed in Southern Italy as far back as the 1st Century A.D., although the earliest form of the cheese was most likely made using sheep’s milk. The story goes that it was first made on accident when a few cheese curds fell into a pail of hot water. There’s also a story from the 3rd Century A.D., in which the monks of San Lorenzo di Capua were recorded handing out bread to locals with a cheese they called “mozza”. We may never know how mozzarella cheese first got its start in Italy, but we do know that it didn’t leave that particular region until the 20th Century when refrigeration technology had advanced enough to allow the cheese to be transported around the world.
Types of Mozzarella Cheese
Did you know that mozzarella is one of the healthiest types of cheese out there? It’s low in both sodium and calories, and some variants even contain probiotics important to overall gut health. Traditional cow’s milk mozzarella – the type most of us are familiar with – is known as fior di latte, or “flower of the milk”. You may also have seen Mozzarella di Bufala listed on menus or at the grocery store. This type of mozzarella is made from buffalo’s milk and has a creamier texture. Both are equally excellent for pizza making. In the United States, there are also different mozzarella choices when it comes to moisture content. Mozzarella cheeses with low moisture content are specific to the U.S., and the kind usually distributed to pizza restaurants. They’re easier to transport and keep fresh. High-moisture mozzarella is available in grocery stores but has a much shorter shelf-life than its cousin.
The DOP Label
If you’re a particularly savvy grocery shopper, you may already be familiar with the DOP label. For those who don’t know what we’re referring to here, the DOP label stands for Protected Designation of Origin (Denoimazione d’Origine Protetta) and is meant to differentiate high-quality Italian products made in their region of origin from low-quality, imitation cheese, wines, olive oils, and other food products. When you see the DOP label on a mozzarella cheese this means that the cheese in question was made in Southern Italy and that the quality has been approved by a governing body. For most of us, this designation may not be very important at all, but it’s important to know what we’re buying when we shop.
Mozzarella at Trapper’s
At Trapper’s Pizza Pub, we do take our pizza making very seriously. We’ve even experimented with making our own homemade mozzarella cheese, just for fun, in the kitchen at Trapper’s. While it’s not something we plan on keeping up, it was a great experience, and gave us a real appreciation for the ingredients that go into making our signature pizzas so special. In addition to our pizzas, we also use mozzarella cheese on our Meatball Sub, Chicken Parmesan Sandwich, Baked Ziti, and in our Calzones and Strombolis. Fresh mozzarella also comes with our Make-Your-Own Pizza Kits, along with homemade pizza dough, sauce, and a topping of your choice.
To view more of our Food Menu, including all of our specialty pizzas, follow this link.
Christie Donato is the Marketing Manager for Trapper’s Pizza Pub and a freelance writer. She’s a co-founder of Rogue Dialogue Productions and a writer on the podcast Windfall. Originally from Syracuse, she now resides in Queens with her dog, Piper. You can find more of her work here.
