Fresh Mozzarella vs. Regular Mozzarella [Photograph: Adam Kuban + J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]
Hungry and curious, last time I asked: how many slices make a lunch? Clearly I wasn't the only one to have given the subject some thought—with 1,994 votes cast, the overwhelming victor was two slices for lunch, with nearly 63%. Even though I (try to) limit myself to two, I couldn't help but sympathize with a comment from Thingstea..."first lunch, or second lunch?"
I have a similarly basic question for you all this week—do you prefer fresh, high-moisture mozzarella on your pizza, or the regular, low-moisture stuff?
First, a clarification might be in order. When I say "fresh", I mean the snowy white stuff, usually sold in balls in a range of sizes, and packed in tubs or wrapped in plastic. Its high-moisture content makes it perfect for Neapolitan-style pizzas, where the water gives the pies their trademark soupy middles.
By "regular", or low-moisture, I mean the drier, more yellow stuff you can find in any supermarket. Low-moisture mozzarella is made by souring fresh mozzarella just a little longer, and then carefully drying it out. It has a longer shelf life, saltier flavor, and better meltability than the fresh stuff, which makes it a popular choice for any number of styles—New York, bar pies, New Haven apizza, and so on.
So this is my question this week—when it comes down to it, do you prefer fresh or regular mozzarella on your pizza?
About the author:Kate Andersen is a Contributing Editor for Slice.