Mozzarella Tradizionale TSG :: Qualigeo (original) (raw)

Description

Mozzarella Tradizionale TSG is a soft, stringy cheese produced with fresh whole cow’s milk. It can be spheroidal, at times with a small “head”, or in a braid.

Production Area

The traditional territory of Mozzarella Tradizionale STG was originally Southern Italy, historically dedicated to the production of stringy cheeses. The product eventually became part of the dairy tradition throughout Italy.

Production Method

The milk is pasteurised at 71.7 °C for 15 seconds, with the addition of a natural milk starter culture that selectively enriches the micro-flora naturally present in raw milk. The milk starter culture must be obtained by subjecting the milk to heat treatment at a minimum temperature of 63 °C for 15 minutes (or the equivalent of), followed by cooling and incubation at 42-50 °C until the right level of acidity has been reached. The product is then cooled again at a temperature of below 8 °C. If conserved, it must be kept refrigerated at a temperature below or equal to 4 °C. The milk curdles with liquid bovine rennet at a temperature of 35-39 °C and a pH range of 5.0-5.4. The curd, which is broken until the grains are the size of a walnut, is drained of nearly half the whey and left to rest for several hours until the lactose has fully converted into lactic acid. The cheese is then spun with hot water that can be salted, at a temperature of between 58-65 °C, before being made into the permitted shapes and hardened in cold water; shaping takes place while the product is still warm. Mozzarella Tradizionale TSG can only be put on the market if it has been packaged where it was processed. In order to preserve the product, it is packaged in a liquid, which is a watery solution to which salt may be added.

Appearance and Flavour

Mozzarella Tradizionale TSG has a spheroidal shape, occasionally with a “head”, weighing between 20 and 250 g, or is in a braid weighing between 125 and 250 g. It has no rind, but is completely covered by a thin, smooth and shiny milk-white film. The cheese is white, uniformly smooth and springy, with lots of overlaid layers creating a fibrous structure; it doesn’t have any eyes, but the layers can be slightly detached. The flavour is characteristic, sapid and fresh, slightly acidulous, with a fragrant and delicate smell.

History

The history of Mozzarella Tradizionale TSG perhaps dates back as far as the 4th century BC. There are several 12th century documents which refer to the cheese as “mozza”, but the first official reference to the name “mozzarella” is found in a cookery book published in 1570, written by the famous Papal chef Bartolomeo Scappi. From the 1700s, the diffusion of mozzarella increased, with production expanding into Northern Italy in the 1960s.

Gastronomy

Mozzarella Tradizionale TSG should be kept at a temperature of between 0-4 °C. It is best to take it out of the refrigerator about half an hour before eating it, leaving it at room temperature. It is an excellent table cheese and can be used as an ingredient in numerous dishes. It is the main ingredient in Pizza Napoletana TSG. It is traditionally paired with white wines.

Marketing

The product is marketed as Mozzarella Tradizionale TSG. It is sold in a spheroidal shape, at times with a small “head”, or in braids, and is packaged where it is made.

Distinctive Features

Mozzarella Tradizionale TSG owes its name to the verb mozzare, meaning “to cut”, and refers to the way the hot cheese is cut manually by using the hand like a pincer, which is typical of the final processing stage of stringy cheeses.