Burrata di Andria

What is Burrata di Andria Cheese?

Burrata comes from Murgia, in the Puglia region of southern Italy. It was made to use up scraps of mozzarella that would otherwise have gone to waste. Early accounts credit the Bianchino brothers, Lorenzo and Vincenzo, at a farm in Andria around 1900, though later records point to Lorenzo Bianchino of the Piana Padura farm developing it in 1956. In November 2016 burrata di Andria became a protected geographical indication product, which means every step, from handling the raw milk to packing the finished cheese, has to happen inside the defined area of Puglia.

Production begins the way mozzarella does. Rennet curdles the warm milk, then the fresh curds go into hot whey or lightly salted water, where they are kneaded and pulled into stretchy strings. That is pasta filata. While the cheese is still hot, the cheesemaker forms it into a pouch, packs in leftover mozzarella scraps, pours fresh cream over the top, and seals it shut.

The result is a solid cheese shell around a soft, loose interior of stracciatella and clotted cream. The texture is unlike other cheeses in the family. Traditional burrata is wrapped in asphodel leaves, tied into a topknot that looks like a brioche, and moistened with whey.

Eat it soon after it is made. Burrata does not keep well even under refrigeration, so freshness matters more here than with most cheeses. It started as an artisanal product and kept its premium reputation after factories across Puglia began making it commercially.