Stracciatella | The evolution of Mozzarella
Quite a few years ago it started in Italian restaurants, Mozzarella became the most popular cheese imaginable, even as popular that you started seeing it on menu’s in restaurants all across the board, all across the globe. Then a couple of years ago we started seeing Burrata everywhere, a real delicious cheese that was even softer and better than Mozzarella and these days you can order it everywhere so time to up the ante: Stracciatella! Stracciatella di bufala are small bits of curd and the word means as much as ripped or shredded. Stracciatella is white like its predecessors and is best explained as the inside of the Burrata. Its origins are from the region of Puglia. So don’t worry we are not talking about the cheese and chocolate ice-cream flavor! This soft beautiful cheese is now taking over menus globally! An article from Leonie van Spronsen reporting from New York City.
Stracciatella on the menu in New York
My first stracciatella was at Empire Diner eating alfresco, a delicious surprise on my focaccia. Eataly has already given stracciatella-stretching workshops on Mozzarella Mondays and Old Rose sticks it on your pasta with chili, in short this cheese is HOT!
Fun fact: Italian-Americans always have different names for typical Italian ingredients; like mozzarella is “Mozzarell” but as far as I know there is none yet for Stracciatella but my money is on “Stracciatell”.
Stracciatella on the menu in Amsterdam
In Amsterdam we have also started seeing Stracciatella on menu’s like at Enoteca wine & food, where they serve buffalo Stracciatella with pane carasau, kumato tomato and caramalised onion. Restaurant FIKO offers a smoky version: Stracciatella Pugliese affumicata e focaccia, which means as much as: “The heart of a creamy smoked Burrata cheese – Evo oil from Puglia and focaccia homemade”. Now doesn’t that sound delicious?
