Dairy
Burrata
Burrata is a fresh pasta filata pouch: an outer shell of stretched cow’s-milk mozzarella (or sometimes buffalo) is filled with stracciatella—shreds of the same spun curd mixed with cream—then closed and kept cool. When cut, the creamy interior spills out against the firmer elastic shell, giving a contrast of stretchy cheese and rich, spoonable filling. It is served very fresh with oil, tomatoes, or bread, or as a finishing soft cheese on warm dishes. Originating in Apulia, it became a global restaurant staple; quality depends on same-day or short-life production because the high-cream filling spoils quickly.
Also known as: Burrata di Andria
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History
Apulian cheesemakers near Andria began enclosing leftover scraps of mozzarella in a spun pouch with cream to reduce waste.
Post-war dairies around Andria and the Murge standardised burrata as a local specialty latticino of Puglia.
Restaurant demand in northern Italy and abroad lifted burrata from regional shop counters to fine-dining menus.
Burrata di Andria received PGI recognition, anchoring name and method to the Apulian production area.
Global casual-dining trends made cow’s-milk burrata a default soft Italian cheese outside Italy.
Artisan and industrial burrata lines expanded while short shelf life kept true fresh product a premium chilled good.