Mozzarella fior di latte
Mozzarella is a semi-soft non-aged cheese prepared using the pasta filata ('stretched-curd') method. Varieties of mozzarella are distinguished by the milk used: mozzarella fior di latte when prepared with cow's milk, and buffalo mozzarella when the milk of the Italian buffalo is used. Fresh mozzarella is generally white but may be light yellow depending on the animal's diet. Due to its high moisture content, fresh mozzarella is traditionally served the day after it is made. Mozzarella is used for most types of pizza and several pasta dishes or served with sliced tomatoes and basil in Caprese salad.
The word mozzarella is either the diminutive of mozza, 'cut', or comes from mozzare, 'to cut off', which describes how portions of the stretched curd are separated. Fresh mozzarella is usually sold as a ball of around 90 grams and about 6 cm across, and it is kept in brine or whey. A denser mozzarella is made by adding citric acid and partly drying it, and it is often used for baked dishes such as lasagna and pizza.
A ministry list of traditional food products gives 'Mozzarella or fior di latte' as the denomination for Apulia and 'Cow's mozzarella' for Molise.
Lactones and dairy flavour
Lactones are cyclic carboxylic esters. They are derived from the corresponding hydroxycarboxylic acids by esterification. They form by lactonization, the intramolecular esterification of the matching hydroxycarboxylic acid. Greek prefixes give the ring size: a γ-lactone has a five-membered ring and a δ-lactone a six-membered ring. Lactones are also present in oak wood, where they contribute to the flavour profile of barrel-aged beers.
δ-Decalactone is a lactone that occurs naturally in fruit and milk products in traces. Its formula is C₁₀H₁₈O₂ and its molar mass is 170.252 g/mol. δ-Decalactone has a creamy coconut/peach flavour. Its preferred IUPAC name is 6-pentyloxan-2-one, and it is also called 5-decanolide.
Diacetyl, a yellow liquid with an intensely buttery flavor, occurs naturally in some cheeses. Cultured cream, cultured butter and cultured buttermilk owe their buttery aroma and taste to diacetyl. The tart flavour of the same products comes from lactic acid bacteria. Diacetyl has the systematic name butane-2,3-dione and the formula (CH₃CO)₂, and it is a vicinal diketone. It arises naturally as a byproduct of fermentation.
Volatile compounds of milk
Aldehydes, ketones, fatty acids, alcohols and terpenoids are volatile compounds present in term breastmilk and in infant formulas. Sensory-active products of fatty acid oxidation contribute most to the olfactory cues of infant feeds.
