The leaves show the freshness of the cheese. Cut into the ball of mozzarella, and creamy panna filled with mozzarella bits flows out. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.org.
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Product Reviews / Main Nibbles / Cheese-Butter-YogurtBurrata CheeseA Ball Of Mozzarella Filled With Cream
CAPSULE REPORT: Burrata is a fresh Italian cheese, subtly creamy and luscious. It’s actually a ball of mozzarella filled with cream and pieces of mozzarella—when you cut into it, the cream oozes out. Made in the Apuglia region of Italy and flown to the U.S., it is hard to find, and has a short shelf life. If you do find one, grab it, find some crusty bread and tomatoes, and head back for lunch, dinner or a snack. Burrata is a specialty of the Apulia region of Italy (Apulia is the Latin name, Puglia is dialect) region, (the southeast coast of Italy), the “heel of the boot.” The area has long been known for agriculture and livestock; in the Murgia area where burrata originated, the economy has long been based on sheep farming and agriculture, including olives, fruits and vegetables. Burrata, which means “buttery” in Italian, is a hollow ball of mozzarella di bufala (buffalo mozzarella) filled with panna, cream that contains scraps of mozzarella left over from mozzarella-making. Cut into the ball and the cream oozes out. The cheese bits make the panna both buttery and creamy, although not overly rich, since this is still a fresh cheese. What strikes one when purchasing a burrata is that it’s wrapped in a green leaf, the fronds of an Italian plant called asphodel, from the same plant order (but not the same family) as the leek. These days, because it travels, it’s also wrapped in a clear plastic bag to catch the natural liquid that drains from the cheese. The leaves are an indicator of freshness: As long as the leaves are still fresh and green, the cheese within is still fresh. Dried-out leaves mean a cheese is past its prime. The History Of BurrataWe have no idea of the exact origin of most of our foods, from yogurt to bread. Historians deduce how they began, but there is no historic record. Even the origins of such American inventions as fudge and the brownie, which debuted as recently as the 1880s, are lost to history. But we do know who created burrata and when—about 40 years later. While many cheeses date back hundreds and even thousands of years (Pecorino In the 1950s, burrata became more widely available after a few of the local cheese factories began to produce it. It is believed that their interest rose because burrata represented a way to utilize the scraps of mozzarella (ritagli, or rags) that were being discarded. Burrata maintained its artisan status as a premium-product, even after it began to be made in a number of factories throughout Apuglia. It is only in recent years that the cheese, still a rare delicacy outside of Apuglia, has been exported, thanks to more economical overnighting of refrigerated products.
Finding BurrataMany people lament about the difficulty of finding a burrata. It is a challenge—true. This past summer, a burrata appeared on the cover of a major food magazine located in New York City. In New York, a turophile in-the-know can figure out where to hunt down a burrata or two, and a prominent food magazine editor should have no problem in having them sent over as soon as the plane lands. For other cheese lovers, it can be more of a chore. There’s not much burrata made in the U.S.; what we get is flown in from Italy. It is then quickly sold, and what is bought must be eaten right away (ideally within 48 hours of manufacture). Given the logistics of flying it in, the demand and the very short shelf life, that’s why it’s so hard to find. Ask the best cheese stores in your town if they carry it. If not, you’ll probably have to order it online. A good source is iGourmet.com. See the shopping information below. You may want to go in with some friends and order more than one. Think of a small ball of mozzarella: One cheese lover with a good appetite could polish it off for lunch; two could split it.
Serving SuggestionsEnjoy your prized burrata with someone special: It is a treasure to be shared. When you cut into it, the creamy center oozes onto the plate and begs to be spread on fresh, crusty bread or crostini only, or:
Buy Burrata OnlineIf you can’t find burrata locally, here’s an easy solution: have it delivered from one of America’s leading online cheese stores.
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Romano was made by the Romans 2,000 years ago, Asiago by Cistercian monks in 1,000 C.E.), burrata was first made around 1920 in the Murgian town of Andria, about two-thirds of the way up from the heel to the spur of Apulia. The Bianchini family made it on their farm. It was a local product, and remained the delight of the townspeople only, for thirty years.
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