Are Mozzarella And Burrata Cheese The Same Thing?

Mozzarella and burrata may look very similar from the outside, but these two Italian fresh cheeses are not the same.

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You may have heard of burrata cheese from a friend who's eager to tell you about their life-changing trip to Italy, who perhaps informed you that it's "basically mozzarella." The question, then, is what makes burrata cheese so different? Why does it get its own fancy name? Well, it's the thing about rectangles and squares again: Burrata cheese is, in fact, a kind of mozzarella, although one that's specially prepared to be as dense and creamy as possible. You've almost certainly encountered mozzarella, a mild, semi-soft cheese made from cow or water buffalo milk, before.

But in case you haven't, let us explain this wonderful cheese to you. Unlike most , mozzarella isn't aged at all. It's a fresh cheese, intended to be eaten as soon as possible, which is why .



It's not exactly the most flavorful cheese in the world, but good mozzarella is so mild and creamy that it's always a pleasure to eat, whether on its own or with some tomato and basil in a . Burrata, on the other hand, may look like mozzarella from the outside, but inside there's something else exciting going on, too. Burrata is mozzarella filled with another type of cheese The name gives you a clue as to .

Burrata, you see, comes from the Italian word "burro," which means "butter" in Italian. And that's the main quality this cheese has going for it – its soft, creamy, smooth, and (yes indeed) texture. Burrata is essentially mutant mozzarella, by which we mean that the exterior is the same smooth, sweet, milky cheese you know and love, but that the inside is something else entirely.

The mozzarella is a pouch for a mix of cream and shredded mozzarella cheese, known as stracciatella. When you cut into it, the innards ooze out in a way that would almost be disturbing if it wasn't so rich and delicious. Unlike mozzarella, which you can find in just about any grocery store in America, you're probably not likely to run into burrata outside of specialty Italian markets.

And if you thought mozzarella turned quick, burrata turns quick. So eat it as soon as you can, served at room temperature to fully appreciate the taste and texture. You won't regret it! Recommended.