Mozzarella

Mozzarella is a classic Italian soft pickled cheese. The first references in the literature to this type of cheese date back to the Renaissance. In 1570, mozzarella cheese as one of the ingredients was part of many dishes in the book of the then famous Italian chef Bartolomeo Scappi.

The name of the cheese comes from the Italian word “mozzare”, which means cutting: in the process of making this cheese there is a stage of cutting raw materials. Mozzarella is very loved both in Italy and around the world.

Types of mozzarella

The homeland of this cheese is considered the Campagna region in Italy. Only there you can buy cheese of one day exposure – a variety of djornata, which is the prototype of all mozzarella. Homemade mozzarella jornata is made without adding salt, so it is not stored for a long time. To extend the shelf life of this cheese, it is stored in a bay with brine. But such cheese is no longer considered a jornata.

The refined delicate taste of mozzarella has provided her great popularity. Modern Italian manufacturers have modified its classic recipe. Therefore, currently there are many varieties of mozzarella on the shelves, which differ in appearance, raw materials used, the presence of additional ingredients in the recipe, as well as the stages of production.

According to the form

Classic mozzarella always has an irregular shape, like a ball or a large egg. But there are other, equally popular forms. Under the name Bocconcini in Italy, they produce mozzarella the size of a chicken egg, cheese the size of a large cherry or cherry is known as chilenji, and small balls are called perlini, that is, pearls. Freshly made cheese has a fibrous pliable texture, so many manufacturers braid it in pigtails called trenchies.

According to the recipe

Real Campagni cheese is made from black buffalo milk, which is why Mozzarella is called di buffalo Campagna. If the cheese is made from milk obtained from buffalo of a different color or grown in other regions of Italy, then it is called mozzarella “di latte di buffalo”.

To increase the production of this cheese, in the food industry began to produce mozzarella from cow’s milk or a mixture of buffalo and cow. Such types of mozzarella in the name are accompanied by the prefixes “fiior di latte” and “con latte di buffalo”, respectively. Casein, contained in cow’s milk, impairs the absorption of nutrients from cheese, so these varieties of cheese are much less valuable than buffalo, and are much cheaper.

In recent years, cheeses from skim milk, as well as smoked ones, have appeared. The taste of these products resembles mozzarella only remotely and has nothing to do with the classic recipe.

Production technology

To make Italian mozzarella, fresh milk of black buffalo is taken, a special thermophilic yeast and rennet are added to it. The resulting solution is heated to milk curd. After this, the cottage cheese is infused in serum for up to 8 hours.

The finished mass is again heated to separate from the whey. The resulting curd mass is thoroughly kneaded to a state of cool dough. In the process of kneading, the semi-finished product is heated several times so that its surface is smooth and shiny.

The plastic mass is easily cut into small pieces, which are dipped in icy salt water. The variety of mozzarella depends on the size of the cut pieces (bocconchini, chilenji or perlini). The remaining whey is used to make another popular type of Italian cheese – ricotta.

Mozzarella balls are usually left in this salt brine, packaged and sent for sale. Large pieces or pigtails are usually packaged under vacuum without brine.

Chemical composition

The chemical composition of mozzarella directly depends on its formulation. The Jornata variety is the most beneficial and nutritious, but it can only be purchased in the Campagna region of Italy. In our country, the most useful type of cheese that can be found on the shelves is mozzarella di buffalo Campagna.

100 g of this soft cheese contains 22 g of proteins and fats, and about 2 g of carbohydrates. Such a high content of proteins and fats makes cheese a high-calorie dairy product: its energy value is 300 kcal.

Buffalo milk proteins are complete in amino acid composition, so mozzarella contains all the essential amino acids, without which the synthesis of protein molecules necessary for a person is impossible. The content of essential amino acids in 100 g of buffalo cheese is so high that it allows us to consider mozzarella a source of tryptophan (65% of the daily requirement), isoleucine (57%), valine (50%), leucine and threonine (40% each), methionine (29%) , lysine (24%), phenylalanine (23%).

Casein is not a part of buffalo milk – a large protein molecule, which for some people can act as a strong food allergen. That is why real Italian mozzarella can be eaten even by those people who have individual intolerance to casein.

Mozzarella is a fatty product. Its fat composition is represented mainly by saturated fatty acids and cholesterol. But you should not be afraid of this, because these lipids are part of cell membranes, steroid hormones and many enzymes. In addition, saturated fatty acids are sources of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, K.

There are few carbohydrates in mozzarella, so they do not play a big role. The carbohydrates of this cheese are mainly represented by mono- and disaccharides (glucose, fructose, galactose, lactose, maltose, sucrose).

Buffalo milk mozzarella contains many vitamins, macro- and microelements.

Most vitamins and minerals do not provide a person’s daily need for them, but are well balanced and available for absorption in the intestines.

Useful Properties

Proteins and fats in the human body are the plastic material for cells and are involved in metabolism. From amino acids antibodies, hemoglobin, blood plasma proteins, hormones and enzymes are synthesized.

Mozzarella, with its frequent presence in the diet, saturates the body with complete protein, prevents the occurrence of anemia, decreased immunity, hormonal disorders, the appearance of pastosity and swelling, and impaired protein metabolism. Due to the participation of amino acids in the synthesis of protein-containing elements of the musculoskeletal system, mozzarella helps to strengthen bones, joints and tendons.

The amino acids that make up the myelin molecule, the sheath of nerve endings, help improve brain activity, especially in people with memory impairment. Mozzarella is useful for athletes. The proteins of this cheese help to build muscle mass, increase endurance, improve the composition of synovial fluid – a lubricant for intraarticular surfaces.

B vitamins normalize digestion and restore disturbed intestinal biocenosis. It is believed that regular consumption of mozzarella in food prevents the occurrence of cancerous tumors in the intestines.

It is very important to use mozzarella for pregnant and lactating women, as well as children. In this case we are talking only about cheese, which is packed without brine.

Harmful properties

Despite the wide range of useful properties of mozzarella, its use is harmful for people with individual intolerance to lactose, casein (if the cheese is made from cow’s milk) or food allergies.

Being a source of the amino acid phenylalanine, this cheese is forbidden for people with phenylketonuria.

In case of cardiovascular diseases and violations of the excretory function of the kidneys, you should stop eating cheese in brine. This can lead to high blood pressure and swelling.

High calorie content makes mozzarella an undesirable product in the preparation of a diet for people on a diet.

How to choose and store

Mozzarella is currently produced not only Italian, but also domestic manufacturers. The composition of these cheeses is fundamentally different, however, as is the production technology.

To enjoy the taste of real Italian buffalo milk mozzarella, it is necessary to give preference to manufacturers from Italy and adhere to certain rules of choice:

1. Cheese must be sealed. Evaluate the quality of the packaging: a self-respecting manufacturer always uses high-quality, odorless packaging materials.
2. Examine the label. The packaging should be the original label of the manufacturer, and its translation into Russian. The correct label contains information about the manufacturer, composition and weight of the product, date of manufacture, conditions and shelf life.
3. The composition of this product does not include preservatives, flavors, dyes, food additives.
4. It is better to buy cheese in a transparent package, through which the product itself and brine shine through. The color of buffalo mozzarella should be snow-white, without a yellow tint, and the brine should be without cereal.
5. Mozzarella should be stored in the store in the refrigerator, regardless of whether it is packaged in a vacuum or in another package. Freezing of this product is unacceptable – it loses its texture.
6. Shelf life at a temperature of + 4 ° C is up to 2 months. If the packaging indicates a longer shelf life, this means that preservatives have been added to the product.

After opening the packaging, you need to smell the cheese: no sour or musty smells should be felt.

Mozzarella should not be purchased for future use. After opening the package, the shelf life of the product is reduced to 2 days (provided that it is stored in brine at a temperature of + 10 ° C to + 15 ° C).

Cooking application

Italian mozzarella is used more often without heat treatment – as a snack, for example, to white wine. However, it is often added to dishes a few minutes before readiness, for example, pizza, lasagna or roast. Mozzarella is one of the main ingredients of traditional Italian Margarita pizza and Caprese salad.

This Italian cheese goes well with berries, olives, fresh vegetables, herbs. With him prepare:

• salads;
• snacks;
• pizza, including closed (calzone);
• lasagna;
• ravioli;
• pot roast.

Salad “Caprese”

To make it, you will need tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. Tomatoes and cheese are sliced, basil leaves are added, seasoned with olive oil, sea salt and black pepper.

How to cook yourself

Mozzarella is easy to cook on your own at home. To prepare it, you need to take 3 liters of raw milk, rennet (10 g), brine salt (2 tbsp.). Instead of traditional buffalo, you can use cow’s milk.

Milk needs to be heated to 40 ° C, add rennet, previously dissolved in boiled water, and mix thoroughly. This ferment must be left for fermentation for 20 minutes.

Thickened milk is cut into squares without taking it out of the pan. After that, you need to throw everything into a colander with small holes, a sieve or gauze to glass serum. A press should be placed on top of the milk clot. It can be a dish with a two-liter jar filled with water placed on it.

After half an hour, the squeezed cheese must be placed in a container with brine and refrigerated. After 12-14 hours, you can eat cheese.

Conclusions

Mozzarella – brine made from buffalo milk. The birthplace of this cheese is Italy. Due to its fresh and light taste, pleasant aroma and soft texture, mozzarella has gained worldwide popularity.

Buffalo milk, from which this cheese is prepared, has several advantages over cow. This primarily concerns the lack of casein in it. Thanks to this, mozzarella can be eaten even by people with casein intolerance.

This brine cheese is good for your health. It improves digestion, enriches the body with high-grade protein, vitamins and minerals, normalizes the synthesis of hormones, stimulates brain activity, and helps restore damaged joints.

This product can not be attributed to diet – 100 g of cheese contains 300 kcal. Mozzarella is not recommended for people with lactose intolerance and phenylketonuria. The use of this cheese stored in brine is contraindicated in cases of impaired renal excretory function. Mozzarella is made from buffalo milk, but in the absence of one, cow can be used. It can be easily cooked at home.

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