If you've been to an authentic Italian pizzeria, you've probably seen "Fior di Latte" on the menu. However, there are many misconceptions about which cheese you should actually have on pizza, and that is why we chose to write this article.
Here you will find out everything you need to know about Naples' favorite cheese on pizza - Fior di Latte - and whether it is something you should use. Spoiler alert: you might be surprised by the answer.
Fior di Latte for beginners
Fior di Latte is also known as como mozzarella. Unlike buffalo mozzarella (Mozzarella di Bufala), Fior di Latte is made from cow's milk, which leads to a slightly milder taste. According to our research (if you can call it that), Fior di Latte is the cheese of choice on about 70% of Naples pizzas. So it is undoubtedly the favourite.So why is it so good? It is simply the perfect pizza cheese. The taste is mild with a slight sweetness. In addition, it is healthy and fresh, while a good Fior di Latte has a clear tone of cow's milk.
The consistency is creamy, but it doesn't get unpleasantly runny on the pizza like other cheeses can. Last but certainly not least, it melts well; you get neither too hard nor too loose cheese, while the pizza turns out beautiful.
Fior di Latte on pizza
Using Fior di Latte on pizza is no big deal, but it requires a bit more from the chef than pre-grated "pizza cheese" does.
Probably the most important thing to get right is the dryness. If you use one of our Fior di Latte cheeses, they are significantly drier than regular store-bought, but it is still important that the cheese is not too wet. When the cheese is too wet, liquid will run out onto the pizza and mix with the tomato sauce, leading to a very unpleasant result with a thin, pink tomato sauce.
To dry the cheese, you can use paper towels where you simply remove excess liquid. Then you can also dry the cheese further when you have cut it open. In addition, you can experiment with shorter air drying.
The other thing you have to get right is the size of the pieces. Here the taste is quite personal, and the right size also depends on the cheese. Here, we really encourage everyone to try what they like best, whether it's small pieces that are evenly spaced or large clumps spaced out.
Good uses beyond pizza
Fior di Latte can be used for many other things than just pizza. Here are three nice examples:
Salad
A mild and creamy cheese like a good Fior di Latte goes well with many salads, for example caprese salad. A caprese salad is a classic starter that in Sweden is usually served with a boring mozzarella. Here, only lettuce, tomato, basil and cheese are the main ingredients, so a really good Fior di Latte can make the dish much more exciting.
Panini
Fior di Latte fits well in a warm panini or any other warm sandwich where you want a creamy cheese with a good taste that at the same time does not take over. There are endless delicious panini combinations, but we like to keep it simple: good bread (eg ciabatta), prosciutto, Fior di Latte, olive oil and a little garlic.
Pasta dishes
You can use Fior di Latte in many pasta dishes. Something we tried recently was a Fettuccine Alfredo with spinach, where we put a dollop of Fior di Latte on top. The result was both pretty and really good.
Should You Use Fior di Latte?
Contrary to what many probably think, Fior di Latte is not the cheese that we usually recommend for pizza baking at home. The reason is simple, albeit boring: the Swedish stores' Fior di Latte is pretty rubbish.
This is usually the case, at least if you shop at the big classic stores. There are several reasons why it is not always so pleasant, but it is based on a faulty production process that goes way too fast, uses pasteurized milk and lacks lactic acid bacteria.
All of these faults plus a few others lead to a cheese that barely tastes anything. That's why we recommend most people use buffalo mozzarella instead. Although it is not always perfect in Sweden either, a half-decent buffalo mozzarella is often much better than the best Swedish Fior di Latte.
Little Napoli's range of Fior di Latte
At Lilla Napoli we sell two high-quality Fior di Latte cheeses. They have their different advantages, but you can make a great pizza with both.
Latteria Sorrentina Fior di Latte
Latteria Sorrentina's Fior di Latte is produced for pizzerias in Naples, and it is also the cheese that we ourselves use in the restaurant. In other words, the cheese won't hold you back from achieving the best possible results, as would otherwise be the case with a boring store-bought variety.
This Fior di Latten is made in the same way as in famous Agerola, and the traditional lactic acid fermentation creates a distinct and very pleasant taste. The cheese is of the drier variety and has a perfect consistency to create an authentic Neapolitan pizza.
Ruocco (Agerola) Fior di Latte
If you are a connoisseur or simply want the best, we recommend our Fior di Latte from Ruocco (Agerola) . Here you get a cheese that is widely recognized as one of the best in the world, and you will come across it among the very best pizzerias in Naples.
The cheese is produced in Agerola, where a unique production process is applied. Thanks to unpasteurized milk, natural acidification and a lot of love, this Fior di Latten gets a very fresh, milky aroma that tastes great.
This cheese is also used at Lilla Napoli, and it goes especially well with a Margherita where the cheese takes center stage. And if you've only eaten mozzarella from Swedish grocery stores before, you'll be quite surprised when you taste a cheese as tasty as this.
Fancy using the right cheese?
Have you been tempted to test what a pizza's cheese should actually taste like? Then you've come to the right place, because we offer two fantastic options: Latteria Sorrentina and Ruocco .
A really good Fior di Latte can really lift a pizza with its perfect texture and mild, good taste. On the other hand, a boring Fior di Latte is not very delicious, and then we recommend buffalo mozzarella instead.