When you order stracciatella, you might be served a warm soup, a creamy cheese, or a silky-smooth gelato. The same word can mean three different things.
Burrata cheese may look similar to mozzarella, but it s what s on the inside that makes it super different. istetiana/Getty Images
It s hard to go wrong with burrata or mozzarella cheese, but while they may look it, these Italian cheeses are not one and the same. On the outside, burrata and mozzarella look like simple and soft cow s milk cheeses. Inside burrata, though, a treasure trove of rich, milky stracciatella cheese awaits.
This key, cream-filled difference stems from the cheese-making process, according to cookbook author and founder of That Cheese Plate, Marissa Mullen. The process to make mozzarella and burrata are slightly different, Mullen says via email. Mozzarella is made by heating and pulling cheese curds in a process called pasta filata. The cheese goes through a stretching process using hot water or whey and molded into small rounds.