Burrata - Italian gourmet cheese.
Burrata is an Italian cheese that is the perfect combination of mozzarella and cream. Its name comes from the word burro, which means "butter". Each ball is a bag of mozzarella filled with filling. And although burrata cannot boast of a rich history, it has a lot of interesting facts in store, which we will now tell you about.
The history of the origin of the burrata is the southern Italian plateau of Murgia. The history of cheese began in 1920 (according to some sources in 1900) in the city of Andria. The Bianchini family made it for the first time on their farm, and for 30 years the cheese delighted only the locals. The invention of the recipe was the result of a typical rural tradition to reuse the surplus of any production. The idea was to mix the leftover pasta filata cheese and cream and wrap it in a mozzarella bag.
The popularity of burrata in Italy increased in the 1950s after some cheese factories began to produce and market it. Although the cheese was made from "trimmings" (ritagli) of mozzarella, it was marketed as a premium product. Today, burrata is made by hand by highly skilled craftsmen. In this connection, the tastes of cheeses produced in different factories may differ.
Burrata has become widespread on the East Coast of the United States, where many Italian Americans live.
How they make?...
Cheese is made from milk and cream of cows and buffaloes in the regions of Apulia (Puglia), Campania (Campania), Basilicata (Basilicata).
The first stage is no different from the production of other cheeses. It consists in the fact that warm milk is curdled by adding rennet. Next, the curdled clot is dipped in hot salted water or whey. Then the resulting mass is mixed and stretched elastic strings, characteristic of Pasta Filata cheeses. Then they make the cheese of the required shape.
Hot balls form bags that are filled with stuffing (a mixture of cream with pieces of mozzarella). Ready burata is traditionally wrapped in asphodel leaves, tying the top, and moistened with whey. The golden flower is a flower that grows wild in southern Italy. It gives the cheese a special flavor.
Today, three companies make burrata in Italy: Cooperativa Caseificio Pugliese; Azienda Cordisco; Azienda Agricola Querceta.
How to eat and store.
Burrata is a soft, delicate cheese with a milky fresh taste. A white porcelain pouch filled with a creamy texture. The weight of one serving of cheese varies from 250 to 500 g. Burata is eaten as fresh as possible. It is preferable to use it within 24-48 hours. After two days from the moment of preparation, it is considered not young, but remains quite edible. Although there may be a smell of sour milk. Before serving, you must first remove the cheese from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature. Thus, it will reveal all its flavor notes and acquire the necessary consistency.
Burrata is eaten on its own, sprinkled with salt and black pepper, sprinkled with olive oil, using a slice of bread or a cracker to collect the liquid filling. Just like mozzarella, in Italy it is served with fresh tomatoes and basil or grilled vegetables.
Cheese is used as a delicious pizza topping. You need to add it to pizza at the very end of baking, so it becomes warm and soft, but not too watery.
Burrata goes well with a number of products: arugula, avocados, legumes, beets, garlic, honey, lemon, melon, peaches, nuts.
Nutritional value and useful properties.
The calorie content of cheese directly depends on the composition of the filling. Now there are a large number of variations on sale: with ricotta, with blackberries, with black truffles, etc.
Here is an example of the nutritional value of 100 g of burrata with a classic filling (cream and mozzarella):
-Calorie content 321 kcal,
-Proteins 18 g,
-Fats 25 g,
-Carbohydrates 0 g,
-Cholesterol 20 mg,
-Sodium 85 mg,
-Vitamin A 36 mcg,
-Calcium 150 mg.
Burrata is a high-calorie product, and therefore you need to consume it in proportion to the diet of your diet. Like all dairy products, burrata is an excellent source of calcium, which is involved in the formation of bones, muscles and nerve impulses.
By eating 30 g of cheese, you will provide your body with: 16% daily calcium, 5% vitamin A, 4% sodium.
Price in Italy, USA and Russia.
Burrata is inferior in prevalence to its older brother mozzarella, therefore the price level for this cheese is slightly higher.
-In Italy, you can buy a burrata with a classic filling within 7-9 Euros for 500 g.
-In the eastern states of the United States, where burrata is especially popular, you can buy it for $ 10, although for a higher quality product you will have to pay about $ 12 for 500 g.
-On the Internet, you can find offers to sell burrata in Russia (again, Russian-made and with a 10-day shelf life) at a price of 250-470 rubles for 250 g of cheese.
Now you have another great reason to visit Italy, don't you? Live with taste and remember: "Burrata does not fall far from mozzarella!"
