Mozzarella
Mozzarella (from Italian mozzarella , diminutive of mozza 'cream cheese' or mozzare 'separate') is an originally Italian pasta filata cheese made from the milk of water buffalo or domestic beef or a mixture of both types of milk.
General
The fat content of the cheese is 50% (buffalo) or 45% (cow) fat i. Tr. Cow's milk mozzarella is widespread today and is cheesed in many parts of the world because the place of manufacture is not fixed. The EU has given the real buffalo mozzarella the title “ Protected Designation of Origin ” ( PDO, Italian DOP ). This mozzarella may only be produced in a precisely defined area.
There is a Codex Alimentarius standard. In Germany, mozzarella is one of the standard varieties in accordance with Appendix 1 in conjunction with Section 7 of the Cheese Ordinance .
In order to detect adulterations such as the replacement of expensive buffalo mozzarella with inexpensive variants made from cow's milk in convenience products, the food control authorities in Germany rely on MALDI-TOF MS .
Manufacturing
With a ripening time of just one to three days, mozzarella could be counted as a cream cheese , but the special manufacturing process (more on this under Filata ) and the various types of processing differentiate it from other cream cheeses.
After preparing a medium curd , the cheese mass is left to rest for a while, then the curd is lifted from the whey, scalded with hot water at around 80 ° C and then kneaded and drawn until it is soft, pliable and malleable. Then it is cut into pieces and shaped into balls.
The Italian regions where mozzarella is traditionally produced are: Abruzzo , Basilicata , Calabria , Campania , Lazio , Marche , Molise , Apulia . Buffalo milk is used in Lazio and Campania.
The original form was and is made from buffalo milk in the area around Naples , in Campania and in southern Lazio , where domestic buffalo have been kept since the 2nd century . This Mozzarella di Bufala Campana has been awarded the protected designation of origin DOP since 1996 and is now protected throughout the EU ( DOP / PDO / PDO ). It is softer and not as rubbery as its cousin made from cow's milk and tastes stronger, and the wrapped filata structure is better preserved. Mozzarella made from cow's milk has a rather mild taste.
Mozzarella, regardless of the milk, is usually made in balls and is white and rindless with a shiny surface. Variations with braids and rod shapes are also possible. It is stored and traded floating in brine or whey so that it retains its strong and salty taste. It is either open or sealed in foil bags. Fresh and young, the cheese dough is smooth and easy to cut, later it becomes softer and mushy and also more pronounced in aroma and taste.
Variations
- Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP is the name of the “real” buffalo mozzarella that is protected throughout the EU.
- Fior di latte is made from cow's milk, especially in the areas around Sorrento and Agerola, special cattle breeds and production methods are used. (Designation "Apennino meridionale" ( southern Apennines ) protected by law).
- Bocconcini are very small mozzarella balls made mainly from cow's milk, which are often offered openly in brine.
- Bufala Provola, a smoked , spherical Filata cheese from Campania made from matured buffalo mozzarella, which is smoked in cylindrical vessels over straw .
- Mozzarella affumicata, a firm mozzarella in larger balls, smoked in barrels over different woods.
- Burrata
Use and storage
Mozzarella is part of typical Italian cuisine and is used for example. B. enjoyed on pizza or straight with tomatoes and basil ( Caprese ). It should be consumed as fresh as possible; puffed bags are a sign of over-storage, insufficient or interrupted cooling and fermentation . Open mozzarella will keep for a few days in the refrigerator if you soak it in a brine so that it is completely covered.
genus
The Duden leads the mozzarella like most cheeses with male products. In Italian, la mozzarella is feminine.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Etymology according to Duden
- ↑ Origin of the word
- ↑ Regulation (EC) No. 1107/96 (PDF) of the Commission of June 12, 1996 on the registration of geographical indications and designations of origin of June 21, 1996
- ^ Ekkehard Hiller, Jörg Rau: MALDI-TOF MS for the determination of animal species in milk and cheese. At: CVUAS.de.