Burrata: Puglia's finest cheese

Nowadays the leaves and stems are often replaced by raffia or wrapping paper and the cheese is usually made in a smaller size (between 100 and 500 grams) so it can be eaten as fresh as possible (within 24 hours of being created is ideal). Yet its heavenly taste can still be enjoyed weeks later, which makes it easier to transport away from its birthplace, increasing its popularity worldwide.

Pizza with burrata and Parma ham – a delicious ‘North meets South’ combination – is now one of the bestselling toppings all over Italy and probably the most iconic symbol of the latest gourmet pizza trend.Famous chefs use it as an ingredient to add extra richness to their risotto or pasta dishes, and it also goes very well with raw or marinated fish such as mackerel or prawns.

But if you ask a native Puglian how he or she usually enjoys burrata, the answer will be much more simple. ‘To us, burrata is a daily food,’ says Elisabetta De Blasi, a Bari-based journalist and food expert. It’s something we eat in the simplest possible way, as a starter along with some tomatoes or salami or maybe on a basic pizza dough. Sometimes I read recipes using it to season pasta like the traditional Bari dish orecchiette e cime di rapa, but nobody born and raised in Puglia would ever do it.’

You don't need to do much with burrata to make everyone happy and enjoy all of its taste and texture.Just serve it with a slice of good bread, ripe or semi-dried tomatoes, maybe olives or some tasty vegetables such as aubergines, courgettes or peppers. Some also like to add extra virgin olive oil, but honestly I think it is already unctuous enough. Despite this, many people find it lighter and fresher than buffalo mozzarella and relish it as the perfect summer meal, maybe served with all of the above in a huge platter to share. Under the Puglian sun, if possible.