Why is mozzarella cheese so stringy and is it really made from buffalo milk? The stringy cheese found on all good pizzas is called mozzarella and was first made near Naples in southern Italy from the milk of Mediterranean water buffalo.
Authentic mozzarella cheese is still made from water buffalo milk and is called 'buffalo mozzarella'. The mozzarella made from cows' milk is called 'fior di latte'.
To make the cheese, pasteurised milk is coagulated with either an acid or rennet to form curds.
When the curds reach a critical acidity of ph 5.2, they are cut into small pieces. They are then mixed with hot water and 'strung' to form long ropes. The stringing of the curds is vital for the texture of mozzarella. The most important point about getting the right degree of stringiness is knowing when to start stringing.
Waiting too long can result in a mushy texture while starting too early results in a dry tough cheese.
When the proper smooth elastic consistency is reached, the curds are formed into balls and put into cold water to maintain their shape as they cool.
The whole process from milk to mozzarella takes about eight hours.