Anyone who has ever tasted mozzarella di bufala at its source near Naples knows something others don’t: The version we buy at our favorite gourmet shop has actually lost some of its flavor by the time it reaches our lips. Since the fresh, moist cheese often turns rancid within three days of production, American grocers must import it once or twice a week, and it must be consumed quickly before it loses its cherished flavor.
Until now. Researchers in Naples have developed a gel that can be placed around the cheese to keep it fresh for up to a month. This patented innovation, which comes out later this year, could forever solve the problem importers face when trying to get the best-tasting mozzarella di bufala to markets and restaurants around the world.
Similar to gelatin in consistency, the gel will keep mozzarella fresh until it's ready to be layered in lasagne or paired with ripe tomatoes and sprinkled with balsamic vinegar. Though "gel" has a chemical ring, worry not. "This gel is made entirely from natural ingredients that have already been approved for consumption, and it doesn't change the taste of the mozzarella," says Mario Malinconico, a chemist with Consiglio Nazionale delle Richerche, the state-owned research center that produced it.
