Mozzarella or Fior di Latte is a type of spun paste cheese made with cow milk. The “Pasta Filata” technique used to make mozzarella is a stretched-curd or pulled-curd process, after the paste is spun the cheese maker cuts a piece off to make mozzarella, and thus the name that derives from the verb mozzare, which means to cut.
Milk enzymes and calf rennet are added to the milk to make it curdle, and then the curd is left to rest to increase the acidity contained in it.
After the resting period the curd is immersed in boiling water and mixed vigorously to make it stretch, at that point it is cut (mozzata) to obtain the single pieces of mozzarella which are thrown in ice cold water to maintain the shape given by the cheese maker.
Not many people know about these little fior di latte (mozzarella cheese) bites or cherries “drowned” in fresh cream.

Ingredients: cow milk, cream, salt and rennet.
Weight: 1 Kg (also available in a 250 gr tray).
Packing: heat sealed tray.
Shelf life of packed product: 9 days.

Cheese characteristics:
SHAPE: egg-like bits in liquid.
EXTERNAL FEATURES: creamy white.
INTERNAL FEATURES: the inside and the outside of this cheese are identical and it has no rind.
AROMA: very strong buttery and lactic scents as well as a delicate and sweet aroma with hints of fresh milk.
FLAVOUR: it is balanced, savoury but sweet with a very oily and fatty paste, tastes like fresh cream.

Availability: all year, but must be ordered.

Food pairing: Great with fresh truffle flakes, with avocado pear, tomato, dressed with extra virgin olive oil, good with prosciutto and other cold cuts. It is good with so many combinations either as it is or cooked to make first course dishes served warm.

Wine pairing:: best if served with the wines from where it is produced, like Locorotondo sparkling wine, and Aleatico di Puglia Liquoroso a liqueur like wine.