Cheese is always a crowd pleaser. But, while classic American cheeses remain a favorite among U.S. consumers, more people are seeking ethnic cheese, prompting the culinary world and food processors to take note. From sprinkling asadero shreds over a plate of spicy nachos to serving baked empanadas stuffed with Cotija, ethnic cheese’s appeal and versatility—particularly from the Italian and Hispanic options—is endless.
Rediscovering Italy
Processors continue to respond to strong consumer demand for Italian cheeses, such as Parmesan, Romano and, most recently, Asiago, by incorporating them into many new line extensions and new products. Italian cheese continues to be a favorite among our customers—approximately 50% of our company’s new product concepts contain Italian cheese.
While traditional Italian cheeses remain popular, chefs have begun exploring different Italian cheeses
Burrata. Originating from southern Italy, burrata is a fresh cow’s milk cheese created by dipping fresh curd into hot whey. It is then stretched and kneaded to the desired texture. The stretched curd is stored in a bag for one day to several weeks, depending on the desired flavor and consistency of the soft-centered cheese. Short aging delivers a soft to semi-firm flowing center of the cheese. Adding ingredients, such as dried or fresh fruit or herbs, to the curd before dipping into the hot whey adds flavor.
With its rich, buttery flavor and creamy texture, burrata functions well as a stuffing in ravioli or other filling applications, as well as a salad topper. Chef Jeremy Fox, one of the Best New Chefs named by “Food & Wine,” features burrata in a strawberry basil pizza margherita and in a grilled peach and French bean salad at his Napa, CA restaurant, Ubuntu.
Buffalo mozzarella. This fresh mozzarella cheese offers a soft texture and sweet, delicate flavor. Now produced domestically, buffalo mozzarella is made from a combination of water-buffalo milk and cow’s milk. Because it is a fresh cheese with a limited shelf life and can be created in a matter of minutes, some fine-dining chefs opt to make their own buffalo mozzarella to feature in specialty sandwiches, pasta dishes, savory soups and fresh salads.
One of my favorite buffalo mozzarella dishes is Italian tomato Caprese, a summertime favorite with fresh-from-the-garden tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella combined with basil and an Italian vinaigrette. The acidity from the vinaigrette and tomatoes blends very well with the soft roundness of this fresh cheese. Though often not practical to use buffalo mozzarella in manufactured applications due to its short shelf life, there are several manufacturing-friendly process and specialty cheeses that can be substituted to achieve a similar texture and flavor.
Fontina. A semi-soft, mild cheese with a light, nutty flavor made in Valle d’Aosta, Italy since the 12th century, fontina has been popular among American chefs for decades, and its use and familiarity among consumers is growing.
