Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of I Heart Radio,
Speaker 1: Hey brain Stuff, Lauren Boga bam here. It's hard to
Speaker 1: go wrong with either barrata or mozzarella cheese. But while
Speaker 1: they may look at these Italian cheeses are not one
Speaker 1: and the same. On the outside, barrata and mozzarella look
Speaker 1: like simple and soft cow's milk cheeses. Inside barata, though
Speaker 1: a treasure trove of rich, milky Strachitala cheese a weights.
Speaker 1: This key cream filled difference stems from the cheesemaking process.
Speaker 1: We spoke by emailed cookbook author Marissa Mullen. She explained
Speaker 1: the process to make mozzarella and barrata are slightly different.
Speaker 1: Mozzarella is made by heating and pulling cheese curds in
Speaker 1: a process called pasta filata. The cheese goes through a
Speaker 1: stretching process using hot water or whey and is molded
Speaker 1: into small rounds. Barrata, on the other hand, is like
Speaker 1: a cheese within a cheese, with type of creamy milky
Speaker 1: cheese called stratchatella on the inside and mozzarella on the outside.
Speaker 1: Malan explained barata is made by using mozzarella cheese stretched
Speaker 1: to include a small pouch that holds fresh cream and
Speaker 1: cheese curd. Because of this, barrata is much richer and
Speaker 1: creamier than a traditional mozzarella. Brata is still relatively new
Speaker 1: to the cheese aisle compared to its counterpart mozzarella, which
Speaker 1: dates back to the twelfth century, when the Italian cheese
Speaker 1: became a staple in southern Italy's Campania region. Barrata, on
Speaker 1: the other hand, first entered the market in nineteen fifty
Speaker 1: six in Puglia, Italy, and we supposedly have a snowstorm
Speaker 1: to thank for this tasty invention. During a heavy snowfall,
Speaker 1: when Lorenzo Bianchino of the Piano Paddle of Farm faced
Speaker 1: difficulties transporting dairy products to customers. His brilliant plan repurposing
Speaker 1: the stretched curds from mozzarella to safely store the cream
Speaker 1: and curds inside gave us the delicious barata cheese we
Speaker 1: have today. While mozzarella and barata can be enjoyed with
Speaker 1: similar dishes like Italian meats, barata isn't simply a creamier
Speaker 1: version of mozzarella, Mullen said. Since Barata's texture is more buttery,
Speaker 1: it goes beautifully paired with crastini or fresh bread. I
Speaker 1: also like to serve barata with olive oil or a
Speaker 1: balsamic vinegar to blend with the flavor of the inner cream.
Speaker 1: Because barata and mozzarella are fresh cheeses, they blend nicely
Speaker 1: with other fresh items. I love to add toppings to
Speaker 1: the barata, such as olives, tomatoes, fresh figs, and peaches.
Speaker 1: Barata can also add a dash more richness to beloved
Speaker 1: mozzarella dishes. Mullen said, you can interchange barata and mozzarella
Speaker 1: with a variety of pairings, but you'll have to be
Speaker 1: prepared for the textural differences. Barata does not shred like mozzarella,
Speaker 1: holds far more liquid and has much more of a
Speaker 1: creamy flavor. If you're down with the decadence, add bratta
Speaker 1: to a pizza, to a salad, or even on a sandwich.
Speaker 1: With all that cream, it's not surprising the barata, like
Speaker 1: most cheeses, is quite calorie dance. One out serving that's
Speaker 1: about twenty eight grams contains about a hundred calories, mostly
Speaker 1: from fat. It contains four grams of saturated fat, which
Speaker 1: is about of the daily recommended intake for the average
Speaker 1: adult of course, that's not to say you shouldn't eat it.
Speaker 1: Fats are important in your diet for a lot of reasons,
Speaker 1: and foods that contain it help keep you going. Plus,
Speaker 1: like most cheeses, it's a great source of micronutrients like
Speaker 1: vitamin A and calcium. Just watch your portion sizes. As
Speaker 1: Julia Child said, everything in moderation, including moderation. Today's episode
Speaker 1: was written by Stephanie Vermilion and produced by Tyler Clang.
Speaker 1: For more on this and lots of other cheesy topics,
Speaker 1: visit houstuffworks dot com. Brain Stuff is production of I
Speaker 1: Heart Radio. For more podcasts my heart Radio, visit the
Speaker 1: iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to
Speaker 1: your favorite shows.