Burrata Cheese: A Delicious Staple of Italian Culinary Tradition
Imagine a soft pillow of mozzarella surrounding a creamy, buttery filling. Once you cut into it, the creamy, buttery insides flow down to your plate, bread or the salad it is sitting on. It makes the already glorious meal even more elegant. Yes! We are talking about the delicious Burrata Cheese.
Burrata is a Happy Accident
Invented not more than 100 years ago by a farmer in Italy’s Puglia region, Burrata Cheese was an invention of mere coincidence. The farmer couldn’t go to the market to sell his cream and mozzarella due to blizzards. That is when he thought of preserving his creams in soft mozzarella shells, and Burrata kind of formed itself like magic. It has become a staple of every Italian cuisine and should be served as fresh as possible.
The Art of Making Burrata
Talking about the texture of it, we must go through how to approach making it. It starts with the same ingredients as mozzarella. Cow milk is the main dish, with rennet and cream. Once the outer mozzarella shells are formed and stretched, fill them with buttery cream and bits of curds. Initially, it should be at room temperature, as the cheese is to eat on the same day. But its growing popularity now demands that the cheese receives some temperature control for preservation.
The Difference from Mozzarella
The difference between Burrata and Mozzarella is pretty straightforward. Mozzarella is a fluffy cheese that is solid and moist. But Burrata has a soft outer shell which is like mozzarella. It then gets stretched to keep it elastic. Then cream and curds poured into it and sealed by hand. It is soft inside and differs from mozzarella. You can cut the mozzarella into pieces, and it will hold its structure. But when you cut into a Burrata, the soft interior will ooze out. That is what makes Burrata different from mozzarella.
Ways to Enjoy Authentic Burrata Cheese
If you ask any Puglian, he/she will tell you that one should eat Burrata simply as it is. Maybe with a simple salad of tomatoes and green on the side. Nothing more complicated than that. It keeps the authentic flavour of Burrata unique. You will be able to feel the creamy, buttery centre when you eat it.
Anyways, with growing trends, chefs all around the world are getting creative with Burrata. It now makes its way into pizza, pasta and salad dishes. It gives the authentic staple of Italy a more modern twist. Anyhow, if you want to get creative, make sure you add it at the end of the cooking. That way, it will lift the dish a few notches. While you cut into it and the creamy centre oozes all over your pasta or salad, it makes the meal more enjoyable. Small pouches of Burrata are made for cooking now. But for an individual dinner, a medium portion of the cheese is served with tomato, pepper and a dash of olive oil.
In pizzas, the chef’s advice is to spread Burrata all over the pizza after baking it in the oven. As it is a very light cheese, it is easily burnt. That is why you add it at the end of any baking process. If you want to have an authentic Puglian experience, eating it at room temperature will do, with a side of tomato or baked pepper and a glass of wine. That is all you need to experience this creamy delight.
Preservation Techniques for Burrata
Burrata cheese doesn’t have a shelf life. So, the best practice is to eat it within 24 hours of its production. If you still want to preserve it for up to a week, don’t cut them into pieces. Because once cut, it doesn’t freeze well. The creamy interior loses its flavour over time if it is once out of its softshell. So you can buy wrapped up Burrata and keep it as it is in your refrigerator for later consumption. When you want to eat it, bring it out and leave it at room temperature for a few minutes before enjoying it. Look for authentic made Burrata in cheese shops to enjoy it more than any other commercially made burrata.
