Burrata. Simply delicious cheese from Puglia Italy.
What is your favorite cheese from Italy? email details of your favorite cheese and we will publish a top 10 cheeses list here.
Cacio Marcetto (“Little Rotten Cheese”):From Abruzzo . I tried this in Sardinia Pecorino fermented in sheep’s milk until tiny flies (still at the larval stage) develop; production is now banned but we have contacts when you travel with wine and food traveller
Burrata, meaning “buttery” in Italian, is a fresh cheese made from a mix of mozzarella and cream. The outside thin shell is a pasta filata curd made of buffalo and/or cow’s milk mozzarella while the insides contain a soft, doughy, stringy, mixture of curd and fresh cream. The cheese originated in the Apulia region of Italy known for sheep farming and agriculture.
When you cut open a Burrata, it oozes with buttery and creamy panna containing scraps of mozzarella. The cream has a rich flavour and has to be eaten immediately since it is a fresh cheese. Burrata is usually served fresh at room temperature and beyond 48 hours, it is considered past its prime. The taste of Burrata goes well with salads, crusty bread, and prosciutto, fresh tomatoes with olive oil and with spaghetti.
How good does that sound!!
Burrata is a typical product of Murgia in the south of Italy. It is produced from cow’s milk, rennet and cream.
To watch the process of making this delicacy is amazing. These guys are artisans of their craft.
Burrata starts out much like mozzarella and many other cheeses, with rennet used to curdle the warm milk. But then, unlike other cheeses, fresh mozzarella curds are plunged into hot whey or lightly salted water, kneaded, and pulled to develop the familiar stretchy strings (pasta filata), then shaped in whatever form is desired.
When the burrata is sliced open, a spurt of thickened cream flows out. The cheese has a rich, buttery flavor and retains its fresh milkiness. It is best when eaten within 24 hours and is considered past its prime after 48 hours. The flavour and different textures of the inside and outside make it go well with salad, or with a crunchy loaf of bread and some delicious tomatoes.
About the author: Since 1999, Bruce White has been traveling Italy, returning every year to a different region with pre-planned wine and food experiences. Some have been with food and wine tour operators in small groups, some planned directly with local specialists to ensure something very local and very special. With this network of contacts and a desire to return as often as possible, Bruce launched Wine and Food Traveller to share experiences with those who share the same passion for the Italian Lifestyle.