Mozzarella cheese is familiar to all, without exception, lovers of Italian cuisine: no mozzarella can not imagine any pizza or caprese, or some salads or many other Italian delicacies, have become classics. Exquisite mild flavor of this cheese is excellently combined with many products and gives a special charm of Italian dishes.

Features

Mozzarella cheese is a young white. The consistency of the cheese is dense, but soft enough, homogeneous, slightly layered, without air bubbles. Taste - soft, fresh and soft. The classic recipe mozzarella is produced exclusively from the milk of black buffalo, but much more can be found on sale cheaper mozzarella made from cow's milk.

The history of cheese is lost in centuries. The first mention of mozzarella refers to 1570 - by this time mozzarella was in Italy for a familiar and well-known product. Mozzarella produced by the original technology. Initially added milk ferments and rennet, sometimes as starter are placed lipase and calcium chloride. Sourdough lactic acid is used, but is allowed and the use of citric acid.

After this curd is heated to separate serum and kneaded until a homogeneous viscous mass. This mass is kneaded his hands, the dough periodically warming. After this curd formed from individual heads of mozzarella. Sometimes cheese is woven into braids, and offered to customers as such.

Ready-made mozzarella laid in brine for maturing. Curing time is small - from one to three days. This fresh mozzarella-day exposure is considered to be the most delicious, but it can only try at home cheese - in Italy. The sale comes as the mozzarella in brine and separate from it, in a vacuum pack.

Varieties

Mozzarella heads come in different shapes and sizes, what kind of cheese prefer depends on how to prepare a dish you plan to use. Great balls of mozzarella ("bocconcini") is the most versatile - they come for pizza and hot meals, and some meals. Balls smaller - with a large cherry or a small plum - called "chiledzhini." They are usually used for the preparation of snacks and canapés. Finally, the very small balls («Pearl", which means "pearls") are indispensable for salads.

Sometimes mozzarella sold in the form of braids. This elastic braid of gentle cheese looks very decorative, it is good as a separate dish.

Sometimes the market can meet the smoked mozzarella, which is called "Mozzarella Affumikata" (slightly smoked) or "Mozzarella Skamortsa" (heavily smoked). These varieties of cheese with expressive taste and appetizing aroma also have their fans.

Application

Outside Italy mozzarella is usually prepared pizza. This pizza is desirable to use a variety of mozzarella with low moisture content: sometimes these varieties are called - "pizza-cheese." In addition, a very decorated with mozzarella lasagna, ravioli Ravioli: a treasure of Italian cuisine   and other hot Italian dishes. Cheese melts perfectly, so it is an ideal ingredient for a variety of casseroles Casseroles. The variety and economy .

The fresh mozzarella is also popular. With this cheese cook famous caprese appetizer of mozzarella, tomato and basil. Mozzarella balls decorate any vegetable snack, they are especially good in salads. Due to its neutral taste mozzarella it goes well with ham and olives, sweet berries, arugula, balsamic vinegar and eggplant. This cheese is a great snack to sweet vermouth or dry white wine.

Mozzarella and health

Calorie mozzarella from cow's milk, depending on the grade of 240-300 calories per hundred grams. Squirrel in mozzarella contains from 18 to 23 percent fat - from 18 to 25, does not have carbohydrates, salt is not more than half a percent. Mozzarella, as well as other cheeses, rich in calcium (160 mg per 100 grams). Also in cheese much phosphorus, have vitamin A, riboflavin, thiamine and other vitamins. Classical mozzarella made from buffalo milk, which is more fat than cow, and contain more protein and calcium.

Mozzarella is easily digested, so this kind of cheese for diet food. Mozzarella can be eaten in pregnant and lactating, this cheese is useful for children.

Those who want to lose weight, do not abuse the mozzarella: the fat in the cheese contains many varieties. However, small quantities of mozzarella not damage FIG. To abandon it would have only that suffering intolerance of dairy products, as well as in certain diseases, requiring a diet low in protein.

This mozzarella - a completely natural product. When buying cheese need to ensure that there was no vegetable fats or preservatives, and flavorings and colorings. All these supplements clearly show that instead of the cheese on the shelf is a surrogate.

Home Recipes

If you wish, you can prepare the mozzarella at home, cooking technique is a little different from the industrial, but the taste will be approximately the same as in the finished cheese. This requires fat milk, rennet, salt, water, citric acid or lactic acid ferment. The enzyme is added to the warm milk and citric acid is heated, not boiling to separate the serum. It should be drained curd wring his hands.

Then knead the curd should be as stiff dough, kneading, and then adding a few layers. To the cheese remained pliable, it periodically dipped into hot salted water. Then, the curd is formed beads or weave braids. Store the finished cheese need a bank with brine or whey for a short time. This homemade mozzarella is ideal for sandwiches Sandwiches. Pros and cons   and pizzas, salads and appetizers.

Maria Bykov

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