You may be thinking that the answer is obvious: and indeed it is! Mozzarella is the best cheese for pizza, science confirms this as well. In fact, there seems to be a study published by the Institute of Food Technologist in the Journal of Food Science and coordinated by the University of Auckland, whereby mozzarella, in addition to being irresistible (who doesn’t like that?), blends seamlessly with any topping. In short, it is a matter of taste, but also of texture, composition and resistance to high oven temperatures. Topic closed? But no! Because, in fact, there are many types of mozzarella, and then along with the queen of pizza there are other cheeses that, we assure you, marry perfectly.
Let us therefore see which cheeses are the most widely used and what their characteristics are.
Fiordilatte Mozzarella
Obviously, the queen of pizza is the Margherita, a pivotal ingredient of which is Fiordilatte mozzarella. This dairy product is simply the most famous fresh string cheese in the world and an integral part of the Mediterranean diet.
Fiordilatte is rich in minerals and vitamins (B12, K, J), but also in saturated fats. For the more line-conscious in recent years, versions of Fiordilatte Light mozzarella, made from skimmed milk and lactose-free, can also be found.
Pizza mozzarella is slightly different from table mozzarella: it contains less water, but retains the same organoleptic characteristics
Buffalo Mozzarella
This type of mozzarella, typical of Campania, is made with milk from only selected buffalo and sent to the dairy within 12 hours of milking.
Here it is filtered and undergoes several treatments strictly following the traditional process: spinning, moulding and salting. The final product is the buffalo mozzarella for pizza that we all love
This tasty dairy product has a high concentration of animal fat and protein. However, it is light and very digestible, with very low percentages of lactose and cholesterol.
Compared to Fiordilatte, buffalo mozzarella has a slight rind. Once cut, however, it releases more liquid.
Finally, as far as packaging is concerned, the latter must always bear the words “Mozzarella di Bufala Campana PDO” on the packages.
Gorgonzola
Gorgonzola, the mainstay of Cinque Formaggi pizza, is a cheese with ancient origins that owes its name to the town of Gorgonzola, just outside Milan.
The characteristic taste of Gorgonzola comes from the milk’s exposure to the fungal strain Penicillium Roqueforti.
These molds give the cheese its characteristic appearance and allow it to mature fairly quickly, keeping other types of molds and bacteria at bay.
Sold in sweet and spicy versions, this is a cheese high in saturated fat and cholesterol, but low in lactose. It is not suitable for low-calorie diets, but is recommended in old age because of the presence of many minerals such as sodium and calcium.
Provolone cheese
A close relative of Mozzarella, Provolone, the main ingredient in our 26×38 Salamino and Provolone, is made by exposing the fresh cheese to wheat straw smoke.
The process darkens the rind of the cheese, which takes on a dark yellow color and the typical smoky aroma.
It is a cheese of very ancient origins. It seems to have first appeared around 1700, when it first appeared in Neapolitan nativity scenes.
Nutritionally, provola is rich in vitamin C, sodium, calcium, phosphorus and can be eaten either melted on pizza or as a table cheese.
Grana Padano cheese
Finally, as our Margherita Sfiziosa well knows, we have Grana Padano DOP, one of the most famous cheeses in the world.
Grana Padano is a hard cheese that is produced in the Po Valley.
The origin of Grana Padano dates back to the Middle Ages and its invention is due to the Cistercian monks of Chiaravalle Abbey, which is located a few kilometers from Milan, around 1135.
It is a PDO (protected designation of origin) product that must be processed exclusively in a well-defined territory in northern Italy, according to specifications drawn up in 1954.
The specifications, in addition to indicating the various stages of processing and the maturing period of the cheese (from 9 to 24 months), also stipulate that the breeding of the cows, their milking and the subsequent processing of the milk must take place exclusively in the indicated area.
Pecorino and Parmesan
In addition to stringy cheeses, more aged cheeses such as Pecorino or Parmigiano can also be added to pizza. These are drier and more savory cheeses. Try them in slivers on freshly baked pizza so they melt at low temperatures. You can think about the most mouthwatering ingredient pairings. How about prosciutto, arugula, and Parmesan shavings? If that sounds like a good idea you should look at our cheese counter: pecorino romano, Fiore sardo, and many others. And we have a huge selection of Parmesans with different degrees of ripeness.
The Herborinati
Herb cheeses, gorgonzola first among them, know how to be at their best especially with white pizza. There are many gourmet combinations that on pizza can bring out the strong flavor of this type of cheese, for example, gorgonzola and walnuts on a white base, or gorgonzola and radicchio or trevisana. But for true lovers of strong flavors, the tastiest pairing can only be gorgonzola and ‘Nduja. Discover all the blue cheeses from our counter: one more irresistible than the other!
Mix for true gourmands: the four-cheese
Are you a true fan of cheeses? Then here’s how to enjoy them to the fullest: with a nice 4-cheese pizza. You can choose your favorites, but our advice is to play with the diversity of flavors and textures. For example, choose mozzarella as a base, spicy gorgonzola to give it that sharp touch, fontina for creaminess, and parmesan for a savory touch.
And if now that you know which are the best cheeses for pizza, all you have to do is shop online and choose your favorites!