Mozzarella
Mozzarella is a fresh, milky Italian cheese traditionally made from water buffalo milk (mozzarella di bufala) or cow's milk (fior di latte). It is the cheese of pizza and caprese — soft, mild, and melting, best eaten as fresh as possible.
Fresh mozzarella is mild, milky, and delicate, with a soft, slightly elastic texture. The flavor is clean and sweet-cream, not assertive — it is meant to be a canvas for other flavors.\n\nLow-moisture mozzarella (the firm, dry kind) is drier and saltier, with a longer shelf life and better melting — it is the standard pizza cheese. Fresh mozzarella is softer, wetter, and more delicate.
Fresh mozzarella is best the day it is made — seek out mozzarella from a cheesemonger or Italian market, or look for 'fresh mozzarella' in the dairy aisle (not the low-moisture kind). Buffalo mozzarella is the most prized and expensive.\n\nLow-moisture mozzarella is sold in blocks or pre-shredded; for the best melting, buy blocks and grate your own.
Pizza
The classic pizza cheese — low-moisture for classic American pizza, fresh for Neapolitan-style.
Caprese
Sliced with tomatoes, basil, and olive oil — the salad that showcases fresh mozzarella's milky delicacy.
Melting
Panini, baked pasta, and stuffed dishes — melts smooth, stringy, and mild.
Fresh Eating
Fresh mozzarella with olive oil, salt, and pepper is one of the simplest, best things you can eat.
Fresh mozzarella should be kept in its liquid and refrigerated; use within a few days of opening for best quality. Low-moisture mozzarella keeps longer, wrapped well, for up to a few weeks. Do not freeze fresh mozzarella.