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Cheese from Italy

Mozzarella di Gioia del Colle DOPMozzarella di Gioia del Colle

Mozzarella di Gioia del Colle is a PDO cow milk mozzarella from the Murge plateau of Puglia. The milk is soured with a whey starter, yesterday's whey left to acidify, and set with calf rennet at 34–36 °C. The curd ripens under whey for at least 2 hours to pH 5.1–5.4, then is stretched in salted water at 85 °C or more and shaped into balls, knots or plaits.

Fully documentedCheese2.3 hPDO (Reg. (EU) 2020/2018)

Recipe

No fixed amounts recordedThe specification sets the starter dose as 2–10% of the milk in the vat; it gives no batch size. Each mozzarella weighs 50–1,000 g.
Whole cow milk from two milkings, with at least 3.4% fat and 3.2% proteinNot heat-treated on arrival at the dairy; made into cheese within 48 hours of the first milking[disciplinare]
Whey starter (siero-innesto)2–10% of the milk in the vat, depending on its acidity[disciplinare]
Calf rennet[disciplinare][eu-application]
Hot water with salt, for stretching[disciplinare]
Starterbackslop: natural whey starter (siero-innesto) from the previous day's make, from the same dairy or the production area

Total time across the recorded steps: 2.3 h

Start
Drag the bar or press Play
shapes, not to countLactobacilli42–44 °CMilk sugarLactic acid

What changes: Whey from the last make sours into the starter for today's milk

Step 1 of 6
Prepare the whey starter
Time
Not documented
Temperature
42–44 °C
Set
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented
Which microbes the steps name, step by step
Lactobacilli

Output: siero-innesto, used at 2–10% of the vat milk.

Flavour
Not documented
Texture
Not documented
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

The native lactic flora of yesterday's whey multiplies and acidifies it

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source

At a glance

Mozzarella di Gioia del Colle is a PDO cow milk mozzarella from the Murge plateau of Puglia. The milk is soured with a whey starter, yesterday's whey left to acidify, and set with calf rennet at 34–36 °C. The curd ripens under whey for at least 2 hours to pH 5.1–5.4, then is stretched in salted water at 85 °C or more and shaped into balls, knots or plaits. Made in 6 steps over 2.3 h. The longest step, ripen the curd under whey, takes at least 2 h (Disciplinare di produzione della Denominazion…). Lactobacilli and/or lactococci of the natural whey starter does most of the fermenting.

Key numbers
Main stepat least 2 hSet[disciplinare]Ripen the curd under whey
Temperature42–44 °CSet[disciplinare]Prepare the whey starter
AciditypH 5.1–5.4Set[disciplinare]Ripen the curd under whey

What makes this one different

It is soured with a natural whey starter made from the previous day's whey, and direct acidification with organic acids is banned. The curd ripens under whey for at least 2 hours before stretching.

Composition
Lactose 0.6% or less, lactic acid at least 0.20%, moisture 58–65%, fat 15–21% on the fresh cheese
Size
Sphere, knot or plait, 50–1,000 g

Related ferments

Variants

  • Sferoidale, nodo, trecciaShape only (sphere, knot, plait)

Safety

The milk may be raw, thermised or pasteurised. The curd is stretched in water at 85 °C or more, and the cheese is eaten fresh. When the milk is raw, the US CDC says people at higher risk of Listeria infection, including pregnant women, people 65 or older and people with weak immunity, should avoid the cheese unless it is heated to 165 °F (74 °C) or until steaming hot.

History and sources

Every number is labelled with how it is known. How this atlas is made

Registered as a PDO in 2020 after Germany and two US groups opposed the use of 'Mozzarella'; the name is protected only as a whole. The specification cites 'squisite mozzarelle nelle Puglie' in 1885 and a 1922 article on Gioia mozzarelle sold in Rome and Naples.

  1. [disciplinare] Disciplinare di produzione della Denominazione di Origine Protetta 'Mozzarella di Gioia del Colle', art. 5 (copy hosted by Scatti di Gusto, 2018; an amendment published in OJ C/2025/2612 was not checked)spec
  2. [eu-reg] Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/2018 of 9 December 2020 registering 'Mozzarella di Gioia del Colle' (PDO), OJ L 415, 10.12.2020, with the consolidated single document (copy hosted by ONAF)spec
  3. [eu-application] Application for registration 'Mozzarella di Gioia del Colle', OJ C 356, 21.10.2019 (CELEX 52019XC1021(01); copy hosted by ONAF)spec
  4. [onaf-sheet] ONAF (Organizzazione Nazionale Assaggiatori Formaggi), technical sheet 'Mozzarella di Gioia del Colle'web
  5. [cdc-listeria] US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Preventing Listeria Infectiongov