Pasta filata

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Mozzarella - a type of pasta filata.

Pasta filata (Italian: "spun paste") is a technique in the manufacture of a family of Italian cheeses also known in English as stretched-curd, pulled-curd, and plastic-curd cheeses. Stretched curd cheeses manufactured from the pasta filata technique are distinguished by "a unique plasticising and kneading treatment of the fresh curd in hot water, which imparts the finished cheese its characteristic fibrous structure and melting and stretching properties.'^[1]

The cheese-making begins in the normal way. The milk (usually from cows or water buffalo) is warmed and curdled and allowed to rest for an hour before the curds are cut into small pieces and the whey is drained off. The curds are allowed to rest for a number of hours.

Then follows the filatura. The curds are steeped for some hours in a bath of very hot whey, or water (for Mozzarella di Bufala Campana the temperature is 95 °C). When they begin to float most of the liquid is removed and the curd is mixed and kneaded until the required soft, elastic, stringy texture is obtained. The mass of curd is divided (often by pulling out a thick strand and chopping it) and shaped into individual cheeses.

In the case of mozzarella, the process is now essentially complete — ideally these cheeses should be eaten within a matter of a few days. For other formaggi a pasta filata such as Provolone, Caciocavallo Silano, Pallone di Gravina and Scamorza, further processing is needed: ageing and in some cases brining and/or smoking.

References

↑ U.S. Patent 7,955,814 citing Kindstedt, Paul S. (1999). "Mozzarella and Pizza cheese". Cheese: Chemistry, Physics & Microbiology (second ed.) (Elsevier Science & Technology). 2: Major Cheese groups: 337–341. ISBN 0834213389. OCLC 634036414. |accessdate= requires |url= (help)

External links

v t e Cheese

List of cheeses

Types	Acid-set Blue Cream Goat Green cheese Pasta filata Processed Smear-ripened Smoked Washed-rind Whey

Animal milk	Cow Goat Reindeer Sheep Water buffalo Yak

Regions	Bandel Cornwall France Germany Ireland Italy Mexico Middle East Netherlands Poland Romania Spain Switzerland United Kingdom United States

Special designations	Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée cheeses Greek Protected Designations of Origin cheeses Italian PDO cheeses

Organizations	American Cheese Society International Cheese Awards Lucerne Cheese Festival Mountain Cheese Olympics National Cheese Exchange The Great British Cheese Festival

Cheese dishes Cheese soups Cheesemakers

v t e Italian cheeses

PDO	Asiago Bitto Bra Caciocavallo Silano Casciotta d'Urbino Castelmagno Fontina Formaggio di Fossa Gorgonzola Grana Padano Montasio Monte Veronese Buffalo mozzarella Parmigiano-Reggiano Pecorino Pecorino Romano Pecorino Sardo Pecorino Siciliano Pecorino Toscano Piave Provolone Raschera Taleggio Toma Piemontese Valle d'Aosta Fromadzo Valtellina Casera

Non-protected varieties	Bel Paese Bocconcini Brös Burrata Cacio figurato Caciotta Caprino Casu marzu Crucolo Dolcelatte Galbanino Mascarpone Morlacco Mozzarella Paddraccio Pallone di Gravina Ricotta Robiola Rosa Camuna Scamorza Sottocenere al tartufo Stracchino Stracciatella di bufala

Manufacturers	Auricchio Parmalat Sterilgarda

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