Mozzarella is a fresh stretched curd cheese, which is produced with pasteurized cow or buffalo milk. The process of production is rather simple: after the addition of rennet to the milk, the dough is stretched and pulled, forming a small ball, which is then put in brine. The buffalo milk, buttery and with an intense flavour, is mainly used raw. Fior di latte mozzarella is used more for cooking since it is more compact and dry.

The mozzarella is kept cool in the package's whey or, alternatively, in water with a little salt. The "ball" shapes weigh between 30 and 500 grams but on the market mozzarella can be found also in other different shapes like braids, beads and knots. In any case, it has a pure white color, a smooth surface, a thin outer film and finally a fresh and delicate scent.

Mozzarella is one of the best known and used Italian cheeses in the kitchen. If fresh, when cut it leaks with whey. Before using it in a recipe, it is best to slice it and put it for a quarter of an hour in a colander to make it lose part of its serum, which would make the preparation watery. Mozzarella can also be smoked.