Italian Cheeseaholic
Cheese Reviews
Aidan Benbow
English Buffalo Mozzarella – An Unexpected Delicacy – Italian Cheeseaholic
Table Of Contents The Advantages of Buffalo’s Milk
3
The Process of Producing Mozzarella
3
It’s not just about Buffalo
4
Buffalo Mozzarella English style
5
The Fresh Prince of cheeses
6
Ricotta Itself
8
Ricotta types
10
Ricotta All the Way!
10
English Buffalo Mozzarella – An Unexpected Delicacy – Italian Cheeseaholic
English Buffalo Mozzarella – An Unexpected Delicacy – Italian Cheeseaholic
Mozzarella is undoubtedly one of the most famous Italian cheeses. There can’t be many people who are unfamiliar with the sight of glistening white balls of it or at least the taste of it on pizzas or in salads. However, you’ve probably never stopped to think about where it comes from or how it’s made. When we think about the origin of cheese, I guess cows, sheep or possibly goats come to mind, but did you know that authentic Italian mozzarella is actually made from buffalo milk? This Italian buffalo mozzarella (otherwise known as ‘Mozzarella di latte di bufala’) is notoriously hard to reproduce due to the ideal conditions and many years of experience in Italy, but one English farm is having a go at producing English buffalo mozzarella.
English Buffalo Mozzarella – An Unexpected Delicacy – Italian Cheeseaholic
English Buffalo Mozzarella – An Unexpected Delicacy – Italian Cheeseaholic
The Advantages of Buffalo’s Milk Something that you’ve probably never really thought about, but is nonetheless still true, is the fact that buffaloes produce milk. Logical really seeing as this is what mammals do. Buffaloes’ milk is richer than cows’ milk as it contains more solids, meaning that it has higher levels of protein, fats, and minerals. This, in turn, makes the milk good for processing into products such as cheese. It is unclear historically how buffalo came to be living in Italy, but what is for sure is that today the buffalo population there is large (for example in 2013 it was reported as 402,659). As a result, Italy is one of the world’s largest producers of buffalo milk. One of the many dairy products that is produced from this buffalo milk is mozzarella. Mozzarella can also be produced of course from other types of milk, but due to the fact that buffaloes’ milk is thicker and creamier, more cheese can be produced from less milk thus making it more economical, not to mention producing a cheese with higher nutritional properties.
The Process of Producing Mozzarella The production of mozzarella is a fairly simple process compared to other cheeses as mozzarella is usually eaten fresh and so there is no need for a long or complicated maturation period. There are a number of other cheeses whose production in the early stages is very similar to mozzarella, but then the method diversi es along the way to produce different results. With regard to mozzarella, there are probably various ways and special techniques used to produce it, but all using the same basic process.
English Buffalo Mozzarella – An Unexpected Delicacy – Italian Cheeseaholic
English Buffalo Mozzarella – An Unexpected Delicacy – Italian Cheeseaholic
The buffalo milk is rst warmed together with whey left over from the preceding batch of mozzarella that has been made. This whey helps to increase the number of bacteria in the milk. Rennet, a complex of enzymes that helps milk coagulate, is then added. The result of all this is that in time the curds in the milk separate from the whey. Next, the whey is drained off and the curds are cut and stirred and then left until the pH reaches between 5.2 and 5.5. At this pH, the curds have formed together in such a way as to make it possible for them to be easily manipulated by hand. The following stage is for the curds (which are by now cheese like) to be immersed in hot water (or whey). Usually, before this, they are cut into balls. They are left until they oat, a sign that most of the liquid has drained out of them. Finally, these balls need to be kneaded by machine or hand until they reach the right texture. They are then cut and shaped as desired to produce the nal mozzarella. Often it is placed in brine to preserve it, but in any case, it is best consumed fresh, either on the day of production or in the next few days. This whole process is called, ‘Pasta Filata’ (Italian for ‘spun paste’) and as already mentioned is also used in the manufacture of other Italian cheeses. The cutting of curds used in the production method is also the origin of the name mozzarella as ‘mozza’ means ‘to cut’ and ‘rella’ is an ending that gives the sense of making something smaller. In other words, mozzarella is a little cut off the whole batch of cheese!
It’s not just about Buffalo The process for producing mozzarella can, of course, be applied to any sort of milk. Outside of Italy buffaloes’ milk is not necessarily so easily available, not to mention the fact that it’s not just any type of buffalo milk that is used, but speci cally water buffaloes’ milk. As a result, a lot of mozzarella is made using cows’ milk, producing a cheese which is called in Italian, “Fior di latte”.
English Buffalo Mozzarella – An Unexpected Delicacy – Italian Cheeseaholic
English Buffalo Mozzarella – An Unexpected Delicacy – Italian Cheeseaholic
There are also regions of Italy where mozzarella is made using sheep’s milk and sometimes called, “mozzarellapecorella”. More recently, some mozzarella has been produced using goat’s milk in order to offer an alternative for those who have problems digesting cows’ milk. A few other terms that are good to know are ‘mozzarella affumicata’ which is mozzarella that has been smoked. Bocconcini are small balls of mozzarella and burrata, which is a ball of mozzarella with a cream lling.
Buffalo Mozzarella English style Although buffalo mozzarella is very much an Italian specialty, others have given ago to producing their own versions. One such attempt can be found at Laverstoke Park Farm in Hampshire, England. Here the owners have invested a lot in visiting Italy to learn some of the secrets of this renowned cheese and then setting up their own production of English buffalo mozzarella. The avor, as well as the look of mozzarella, can be in uenced by the diet of the animal from which the milk came from. At Laverstoke, they have been feeding their buffaloes on a special diet of a mixture of 31 herbs, grasses and clovers thus trying to instill in their English buffalo mozzarella a distinctive taste. Who knows, maybe one day it will rival the Italian variety for the crown of best mozzarella in the world.
English Buffalo Mozzarella – An Unexpected Delicacy – Italian Cheeseaholic
English Buffalo Mozzarella – An Unexpected Delicacy – Italian Cheeseaholic
The Fresh Prince of cheeses Mozzarella is most certainly a popular cheese and not without good reason. There is a simplicity, yet elegance to its production. The nished product is best consumed as soon as possible adding a light, fresh taste to a host of different dishes. It can even be enjoyed just like in Italy, sliced and eaten on its own. No matter what type of mozzarella you go for, you’re unlikely to be disappointed by this simple, but versatile cheese.
English Buffalo Mozzarella – An Unexpected Delicacy – Italian Cheeseaholic
Ricotta Cheese, A way to Make the most of Milk! – Italian Cheeseaholic
Waste not, want not, is a common expression in the English language. Not just because it sounds good, but also because it contains a very practical truth. Those of us living in (or at least brought up in!) the western world are prone to not adhering to this adage. It’s much easier to just throw out old or excess items, rather than going to the bother of nding alternative uses. However, this is not a wise approach to life as who knows how long the resources we have will last and indeed if we all made better use of what we’ve got, we would have more to share with others. Many people in today’s world don’t have the luxury of being wasteful and for sure many living in days gone by when food preservation methods weren’t so high-tech, also had to nd ways of making the most of what they had. Ironically, this need for being ef cient with available resources gave rise to many of the food products that we enjoy today. For example, cheese was born out of the need to preserve milk. There are a vast number of different cheeses in existence, each with a story to tell about how it came into being. Ricotta is one such cheese, the origin of which very much being to do with the need to make the most of any available milk.
Ricotta Cheese, A way to Make the most of Milk! – Italian Cheeseaholic
Ricotta Cheese, A way to Make the most of Milk! – Italian Cheeseaholic
The Name Says It All The name Ricotta in Italian literally means ‘recooked’. This re ects the fact that Ricotta cheese is traditionally made by heating the liquid left over from making other cheeses, in order to extract remaining proteins from the solution. These can then be used to further produce cheese. As it happens, this left-over liquid is called, ‘Whey’ (as in Miss Muffett fame) and so Ricotta is known as a whey cheese because it is made from this liquid. In some respects, whey could be considered a by-product of cheesemaking, but at some point, in history, people realized that by carrying out this reheating process, more cheese could be made thus making the most, of what otherwise could have gone to waste.
The Process Itself The actual method for producing cheese from whey is fairly simple. As already mentioned, in the process of making cheese, a by-product liquid called whey is formed. Whey is basically the liquid part of milk, but it still contains proteins. Originally, whey left-over from the production of Mozzarella was used to make Ricotta, but in fact, any sweet whey can be used. The whey is heated, and salt is added. Cream or milk can be also be added to increase yield. Whey itself has a very low concentration of proteins so without the addition of other sources of protein, a lot of whey is needed to produce even a small amount of cheese. Finally, adding acid to this heated whey causes the proteins in it to solidify taking with them any other proteins that have been added to the solution. These coagulated proteins trap air and so oat to the surface of the liquid. From here they can easily be siphoned off, cooled and packaged and hey presto, your Ricotta cheese is ready for sale and consumption!
Ricotta Cheese, A way to Make the most of Milk! – Italian Cheeseaholic
Ricotta Cheese, A way to Make the most of Milk! – Italian Cheeseaholic
Obviously, once the hard work of obtaining Ricotta cheese has been done, the big question is what can it be used for? The cheese itself is light in color and texture with a mild, slightly sweet taste. It is not dissimilar to Cottage cheese, although there are slight differences in the production method. Ricotta’s shelf life is not long (about three weeks if properly packaged and stored at 4 degrees Celsius or less) so it is not so much eaten on its own, but rather used as to complement other ingredients in a range of dishes and products. It can be sweetened and used in desserts such as cannoli and cheesecake. It can be added to pasta dishes to provide avor and texture and also a light contrast to dark pasta sauces. It is often combined with spinach in pasta or on pizzas. Ricotta is a good compliment for eggs, so it is often used in egg dishes such as omelets, souf es and even scrambled eggs. Ricotta cheese’s two main culinary weapons are however its moistness and resistance to melting.
Ricotta Cheese, A way to Make the most of Milk! – Italian Cheeseaholic
Ricotta Cheese, A way to Make the most of Milk! – Italian Cheeseaholic
The moistness of Ricotta is due to the fact that it is a fresh cheese, eaten shortly after production so retains some of the liquid whey. Also, the whey proteins that it contains have a high water holding capacity. Thus, Ricotta can be included in breads, muf ns, and pancakes, which would otherwise be dry and hard to eat. Ricotta is also resistant to melting, again due to the properties of the whey proteins that it contains. This means that it can be used in recipes for soups and sauces to add viscosity.
Types There are three main types of Ricotta cheese. Whole milk Ricotta, which funnily enough is made from full-fat milk. Part-skim Ricotta, which is made from reduced-fat milk. Thirdly, there is Ricotta from whey or skimmed milk (or a combination of the two). This is the more traditional form of Ricotta and so the reason why it is known as a whey cheese. This type of Ricotta is often referred to as Ricottone. There are slight differences between the three in terms of sweetness and creaminess. The rst two generally being a bit sweeter and creamier than Ricottone. Whilst Ricotta is usually used in its fresh state, it can nevertheless be aged and processed by salting, smoking, and baking to produce some longer lasting variations on the basic Ricotta theme.
Click here for Five Types of Ricotta Cheese to Try! Ricotta All the Way! We have seen then that Ricotta is a relatively simple cheese to make, which has many different applications. It is in a very real sense a way of making the most of milk!
Ricotta Cheese, A way to Make the most of Milk! – Italian Cheeseaholic
Ricotta Cheese, A way to Make the most of Milk! – Italian Cheeseaholic
What are your experiences with Ricotta? Feel free to leave a comment here. Sources and Further Reading: Canadian Dairy Commission ‘Ricotta Cheese’ Cheese: Chemistry, Physics, and Microbiology: Major Cheese Groups p. 345/346 University of Guelph, Cheesemaking Technology e-book Wikipedia, Ricotta
Ricotta Cheese, A way to Make the most of Milk! – Italian Cheeseaholic
Cheese Reviews This is a light hearted look at cheese. You will nd a series of articles connected to Italian Cheese. They might not always be the most expert, but nevertheless I have strived to make them interesting, honest and worth reading, not to mention to include something meaningful where possible!
