Burrata is the fanciest of all the cheeses to exist. Commonly found on Neapolitan pizzas and salads, Burrata is an Italian cow milk cheese made from mozzarella and cream. The outer casing is solid cheese, while the inside contains stracciatella and cream, giving it an unusual, soft texture. For the uninitiated, stracciatella is also a type of cheese produced from an Italian buffalo’s milk. Social media is flooded with videos of food bloggers cutting across the Burrata to spill the cheese all over the dish it graces. However, there are some ethics that come in to play when you’re dealing with this fancy cheese. From how it’s served to how it must be consumed, here are a few interesting Burrata ethics that you need to know: 

1) Burrata Is Served At Room Temperature 

Burrata’s flavour are best when this cheese is served at an ambient temperature. If you’re planning on serving Burrata to your guests, remember to take it out of the freezer at least 30 minutes prior, so that it gets sufficient time to warm up. Since Burrata is classified as fresh cheese, it’s recommended to eat it as soon as it’s made. This means that Burrata shouldn’t be stored for days at end. If you’re buying the Burrata today and cutting it for your salad or pizza, make sure you consume it as soon as you can. If you store an open packet of Burrata for several days, the cheese will turn sour and go bad. Consume the Burrata within one or two days after it’s production. Store Burrata in the fridge and not the freezer as that would impact the texture and taste of Burrata and make it bad. Avoid storing Burrata after opening it. When you slice Burrata, its cream and Stracciatella flows out. Thus, after you cut it open, you should eat it immediately. 

Burrata. Credit: Pexels.

2) Can We Clean And Cook The Burrata?

Burrata doesn’t need to be washed and can be served and consumed as it is. Unlike cheeses like Mozzarella that can be baked and cooked, Burrata is best left alone. If you do cook the Burrata you could end up altering its taste and structure. This fresh cheese must be served as is, atop pizzas, pastas or salads. 

3) Burrata Should Be Paired With These Dishes 

Burrata pairs well with fresh tomatoes, arugula in salads and can be commonly found atop a Caprese salad. It also pairs well with Prosciutto Pizza. When paired with meats, Burrata goes well with Prosciutto Crudo and Bresaola. Go light when seasoning the Burrata. A drizzle of olive oil and black paper are the only condiments that you would need to enjoy this otherwise, delicious fresh cheese. It is less common to pair Burrata with fruit, honey, or jams. Burrata does not go well with fish. Wines that you could enjoy alongside a dish with Burrata include sparkling wine, such as Champagne or Prosecco, White wine such as Pinot Grigio, Pinot Blanc, or Grüner Veltliner and light-bodied red wine, such as Pinot Noir.

Burrata on a salad and a Neapolitan Pizza. Credit: Instagra/cuisineactuelle and Instagram/kunalkemmu

 

4) The Ethics Of The Actual Serving 

Burrata is commonly served as an appetiser, however accompanying a salad it could also be served as a side dish or atop a pizza as a main dish. Always serve Burrata as a whole. You should only slice this cheese open at the dining table. Don’t forget to provide a serving spoon to your guests while serving this cheese so that they are able to scoop its creamy and flowing inside. It’s recommended to serve Burrata with bread or focaccia. If Burrata is served on a cheese platter, rank it in the middle, in between  the strongest flavoured cheeses and the lightest flavoured cheeses. 

5) The Style Of Eating The Burrata 

A lot of apprehension about how to eat Burrata grips diners. You should eat Burrata by mixing its outside and its inside. If the inside is too liquidy, you can scoop it out separately. Whenever you’re cutting the Burrata apart, lay a delicate hand, as the insides of Burrata can be quite liquidy. Therefore, start with a small cut at first. Then, eat the cheese one morsel at a time. Eat Burrata with a fork and knife and avoid spoons. If you’re wondering if it’s okay to consume the outside of Burrata, rest assured that the outside of Burrata is made of Mozzarella. You should eat the outside together with the creamy inside.

Way to eat the Burrata. Credit: Instagram/cocinaconnoelia