🧀 Stracciatella

Stracciatella is the fresh filling of burrata: thin shreds of stretched cheese, torn by hand and soaked in cream. It is a soft, moist mass with no shape of its own, so it cannot be sliced like ordinary cheese. The name comes from the Italian verb for “to rip”, which is exactly how it is made. ¹³

How it is made. The cheesemaker first produces pasta filata: the curd is heated and stretched into a smooth, springy mass. Part of this mass is not shaped but torn by hand into ribbons of varying length and width, cooled in water and mixed with cream. The Burrata di Andria rules do not allow the ribbons to be reduced to a uniform mince: uneven shreds let the cheese and cream combine better. ³⁴

Why hands are still needed. Researchers in Bari explain that this step cannot yet be handed to a machine, because the result comes out differently. Handwork has a downside too: the more a product is handled during production, the harder it is to keep it fresh. ⁵

What cream is used. For Burrata di Andria it is separated from milk or fresh whey in a centrifuge. The richer the cream, the higher the temperature and the shorter the time the specification sets: at least 75 °C for 40 seconds at 10–20 % fat, at least 80 °C for 20 seconds at 20 % or more. Ready-made pasteurised or UHT cream is also allowed. ³

Stracciatella and burrata. In burrata the filling sits in a sack with a wall about 2 mm thick, which is why cream spills out when it is cut. Oral tradition dates the cheese to the early 20th century: snow stopped the milk being taken to town, and Lorenzo Bianchino wrapped leftover curd and cream in a casing. Today stracciatella is also sold on its own, in sealed trays, and is reaching international markets. ¹⁵

Why it spoils quickly. Its moisture is 62–65 % and its pH 6.0–6.2, conditions microbes like, and its fat oxidises fast. In a trial at 8 °C, a sample without preservatives clearly changed its aroma compounds after just 8 days. Sorbic acid extended freshness, while modified-atmosphere packaging helped only a little. ⁵⁶

Stracciatella or burrata? Stracciatella is only the filling, not the whole cheese: burrata is a sack of pasta filata, with a wall about 2 mm thick, that holds it, which is why cream spills out when it is cut. Stracciatella is also sold on its own in sealed trays. Stracciatella or mascarpone, mozzarella? Stracciatella is stretched curd torn by hand into ribbons and soaked in cream, while mascarpone is made from cream coagulated with an acid and drained, and is not aged.

Look for “stracciatella” or “stracciatella di burrata” on a sealed tray; the Burrata di Andria PGI (protected geographical indication) specification describes the filling. It is a fresh product kept at 4 ± 2 °C, so check the date and keep it in the fridge. Spoilage usually shows only on tasting, and sorbic acid is the most common preservative in these cheeses, so read the label. You will find it in the chilled cheese section of a supermarket, at a delicatessen or an Italian food shop.

Why it matters to you. Spoilage is easy to miss here: the study's authors note that it usually shows only on tasting. So check the date, keep stracciatella in the fridge and do not leave it for long. If you want a product without additives, read the label: sorbic acid is the most common preservative in these cheeses. ³⁵