Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of I Heart Radio, Hey brain Stuff, Lauren Boga bam here. It's hard to go wrong with either barrata or mozzarella cheese. But while they may look at these Italian cheeses are not one and the same. On the outside, barrata and mozzarella look like simple and soft cow's milk cheeses. Inside barata, though a treasure trove of rich, milky Strachitala cheese a weights. This key cream filled difference stems from the cheesemaking process.
We spoke by emailed cookbook author Marissa Mullen. She explained the process to make mozzarella and barrata are slightly different. Mozzarella is made by heating and pulling cheese curds in a process called pasta filata. The cheese goes through a stretching process using hot water or whey and is molded into small rounds. Barrata, on the other hand, is like a cheese within a cheese, with type of creamy milky cheese called stratchatella on the inside and mozzarella on the outside.
Malan explained barata is made by using mozzarella cheese stretched to include a small pouch that holds fresh cream and cheese curd. Because of this, barrata is much richer and creamier than a traditional mozzarella. Brata is still relatively new to the cheese aisle compared to its counterpart mozzarella, which dates back to the twelfth century, when the Italian cheese
became a staple in southern Italy's Campania region. Barrata, on the other hand, first entered the market in nineteen fifty six in Puglia, Italy, and we supposedly have a snowstorm to thank for this tasty invention. During a heavy snowfall, when Lorenzo Bianchino of the Piano Paddle of Farm faced
difficulties transporting dairy products to customers. His brilliant plan repurposing the stretched curds from mozzarella to safely store the cream and curds inside gave us the delicious barata cheese we have today. While mozzarella and barata can be enjoyed with similar dishes like Italian meats, barata isn't simply a creamier version of mozzarella, Mullen said. Since Barata's texture is more buttery,
it goes beautifully paired with crastini or fresh bread. I also like to serve barata with olive oil or a balsamic vinegar to blend with the flavor of the inner cream. Because barata and mozzarella are fresh cheeses, they blend nicely with other fresh items. I love to add toppings to the barata, such as olives, tomatoes, fresh figs, and peaches. Barata can also add a dash more richness to beloved
mozzarella dishes. Mullen said, you can interchange barata and mozzarella with a variety of pairings, but you'll have to be prepared for the textural differences. Barata does not shred like mozzarella, holds far more liquid and has much more of a creamy flavor. If you're down with the decadence, add bratta to a pizza, to a salad, or even on a sandwich. With all that cream, it's not surprising the barata, like
most cheeses, is quite calorie dance. One out serving that's about twenty eight grams contains about a hundred calories, mostly from fat. It contains four grams of saturated fat, which is about of the daily recommended intake for the average adult of course, that's not to say you shouldn't eat it. Fats are important in your diet for a lot of reasons, and foods that contain it help keep you going. Plus, like most cheeses, it's a great source of micronutrients like
vitamin A and calcium. Just watch your portion sizes. As Julia Child said, everything in moderation, including moderation. Today's episode was written by Stephanie Vermilion and produced by Tyler Clang. For more on this and lots of other cheesy topics, visit houstuffworks dot com. Brain Stuff is production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts my heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.