MOZZARELLA

When chefs, restaurant owners and foodservice operators look for Mozzarella they choose California. The state is the nation’s number one producer of Mozzarella for a reason.  Customers can count on quality that starts with real milk, sustainably produced by real California dairy farmers.

CA is the #1 Mozzarella Producer

Make It Mozzarella From California

Mozzarella Regular

Low-Moisture Mozzarella is a mild, white semi-firm cheese in whole milk and part skim varieties. It is commonly used in cooking, especially pizza, because of its excellent melting properties. While technically a fresh cheese, this Mozzarella is commonly grouped with semi-hard cheeses because of its firm texture.

Mozzarella Fresh

Fresh Mozzarella, usually made from whole milk, is typically packed in water. It has a delicate fresh milk flavor and a soft creamy and smooth texture. This white cheese is often used in salads or marinated for an appetizer. It comes in a range of shapes including balls, logs and knots.

Mozzarella Pizza Cheese

Pizza Cheese is a lower cost, higher moisture content Mozzarella-blend alternative. The benefits of pizza cheese include providing an ideal melt, longer shelf life, and superior reheat as it maintains a creamy, white appearance. Used in almost two-thirds of pizzerias, it still can contain Real California Mozzarella as part of its 100% real cheese blend.

Mozzarella attributes

Available Forms

Mozzarella Fresh

Fresh Mozzarella

ADVANTAGES: Fresher taste and high moisture texture compared to other Mozzarella forms; wide variety of shapes and sizes
DISADVANTAGES: Higher cost and shorter shelf life than other Mozzarella forms

Mozzarella Blends

Mozzarella Blends

ADVANTAGES: Shredded varieties more convenient; provides consistency in the mix; lower labor costs; broader flavor choices
DISADVANTAGES: Reduced control of blend ratios; higher cost and loss of melt performance compared to loaf Mozzarella

Mozzarella Diced

Diced Mozzarella

ADVANTAGES: Portions consistently to control use and cost; ideal form to achieve thicker layer of cheese on pizza
DISADVANTAGES: Slightly less coverage than shredded mozzarella; possible to see under-melt of cheese in certain menu applications

Mozzarella Block

Loaf Mozzarella

ADVANTAGES: Performs better and gets softer than shredded form; more flexibility for different menu applications; less expensive per pound than shredded and diced
DISADVANTAGES: Increased time and labor to shred; potential for clumping because of lack of anti-caking agent

Mozzarella Shredded

Shredded Mozzarella

ADVANTAGES: More convenient and saves on back-of-house labor costs; versatile for different foods: like other forms, maintains a long shelf life
DISADVANTAGES: More costly; does not portion as consistently and some loss of melt performance compared to loaf Mozzarella

Part Skim Versus Whole Milk

PART SKIMWHOLE MILK
FLAVORFresher dairy notesButtery richness
BROWNINGLarger, darker blistersLighter colored blistering
SHREDDINGCold shred provides best piece definitionPieces clump due to higher fat
STRETCHGood stretch, but snaps easilyLong, thin stretch—like pasta—hence pasta filata name
OILING OFFLess fat, less oil releaseMore fat pools oil
MELTLower fat means less flowMelts quicker, flows easier
TEXTUREFirmer, harder to chewMore fats makes the chew easier

See the Difference

Oil Content

Mozzarella Higher Oil

HIGHER OIL

Mozzarella Lower Oil

LOWER OIL

Melt and Coverage

Mozzarella Less Melt

LESS

Mozzarella More Melt

MORE

Stretch

Mozzarella Less Stretch

LESS

Mozzarella More Stretch

MORE

Blistering

Mozzarella Low Moisture

HIGH MOISTURE

Mozzarella High Moisture

LOW MOISTURE

Age Performance

AGEMELTFLAVORBODYAFFECT
5-6 DaysExtreme browning to burning, shred strands visible after bakingSalty, dry, milkVery firm: Excellent shredding, tough and chewy when bakedPoor
8-10 DaysMedium browning, few shred strands visible after bakingLight, buttery tasteFirm: Shreds easily, slightly chewy when bakedGood
14-28 DaysLight browning, no shreds visible after bakingButtery tasteFirm: Shreds and slices well, good stretch, soft with some chewiness when bakedExcellent
30-39 DaysLight to medium browning, no shreds visible after baking, increasing coverageButtery, creamy tasteVery firm: Slightly soft, fair stretch, fair shredability, slightly chewy when bakedGood
50+ DaysHeavier browning, with increasing blister size. May be runny or oily.Buttery, creamy tasteSoft: Little stretch, not tough or chewy when baked. Difficult to shred or slice.Fair to Poor

Refer to pack date for optimal age. Also, note that aging windows may change depending on manufacturer.

Cooking with Real California Mozzarella

Molto Basilico Pizza

Teal Arrow

Cali Rooted

Teal Arrow

La Cascata Blanca

Teal Arrow
To create a better experience for you, this website uses cookies and similar technologies to understand how you use our website,  To learn more about the technologies used and your choices, please read our Cookie Notice.   By clicking “Accept” you consent to our use of cookies.

Contact Us

Contact Us
Would you like to receive our email newsletters that provide exclusive information to new recipes, contest information, and more?
California Milk Advisory Board
2156 W. Grant Line Road, Suite 100
Tracy, CA 95377
(209) 883-6455