Burrata is a unique, fresh Italian cheese, usually made with cow’s milk, that has a secret surprise. From the outside, it most resembles a ball of mozzarella, but in fact, this is a deception.

It looks like a ball of mozzarella because, it is mozzarella. Well, not quite. Burrata has an outer shell that is solid mozzarella, but the inside is cream. The creaminess is where burrata gets its name, meaning “buttered” in Italian.

Its relationship to mozzarella

While burrata is by no means mozzarella, it is made with some mozzarella. And, in Nora Singley’s article, she explains that mozzarella is a pulled curd or pasta filata cheese, which means that it is made from the elastic curd of fresh milk. The key difference is that mozzarella is a solid ball, whereas burrata is actually just a mozzarella balloon filled with cream and soft stringy bits of curd, called rags, which are byproducts of mozzarella production.

Did you know?

The original, traditional mozzarella is made with water buffalo milk, and in Italy the real thing, mozzarella di bufala, is protected by law. Buffalo milk lacks carotene, which normally gives milk a slight yellow color, so the cheese is very white, and the milk also has a higher butterfat content. The same style of cheese made with cow’s milk is called fior di latte or fiordilatte, and that is what most American mozzarella is. Burrata is usually made with cow’s milk too. Outside of Italy there isn’t a mozzarella police to keep anyone from making mozzarella however they like.

Burrata is usually served fresh, at room temperature. It has a very mild taste and smell, and a very creamy texture. While there are a variety of ways to serve burrata the best is just to keep it simple: bread, olive oil. You can season it too with salt and pepper if you’d like.

What’s your favorite burrata recipe? Let me know in the comments.