FSR August 2022

TRENDING ON THE MENU // Italian Cheeses

Consider burrata—a creamier alter native to standard fresh mozzarella cheese varieties that demonstrates the same broad menu versatility across seg ments. Burrata is the fastest trending specialty Italian cheese, according to

dish in which it appears. So does stracci atella, a key ingredient of burrata. These cheeses don’t drive the palate; instead, they enhance existing flavors. “They complement the rest of the plate around them,” Alfaro says. “From a culi

refer to as the heart of the burrata. Bel Gioioso’s version uses rich, fresh, sweet cream that helps elevate the taste.” Traditionally, burrata has appeared on menus in applications similar to cap rese salads—often paired with tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and a little salt and pepper. More recently, Alfaro says he has seen creative reinterpreta tions of classic dishes made with burrata and stracciatella, as well as the cheeses being used in entirely new ways. Burrata burgers, for example, are being featured on menus more and more often. Served as a beef burger topped with a two-ounce burrata ball on a ham burger bun, the burrata burger creates an elevated experience for guests. Flat breads, pizzas, pastas, and charcuterie boards that spotlight burrata are also becoming more popular. Stracciatella and burrata fit seam lessly into dessert applications, as well. Warm spiced pears can be served with burrata or a spoonful of stracciatella to provide a creamy counterpoint. Of course, burrata’s premium status creates a prime opportunity to increase margins on certain items. Guests see burrata as a luxury ingredient and react well to a higher price point. Operators can also introduce burrata to the menu in a cost-effective way by using straccia tella, the core component of burrata, as an equivalent. “Some folks are using stracciatella as a spread,” Alfaro says. “And because stracci atella is the heart of the burrata, they can still merchandise it as a burrata sandwich or a burrata burger and get the benefits of using the more widely known name. It’s a great tool for upselling. Adding a dollop of stracciatella to a common pasta dish will help elevate the experience.” The rising popularity of burrata and stracciatella doesn’t seem to be slow ing down anytime soon. Chefs are even customizing their stracciatella with gar nishes and flavorings, and BelGioioso offers a black truffle burrata. “The beauty of these cheeses is that it’s so easy to put your own spin on them,” Alfaro says. “This is a trend where we’re going to con tinue to see strong growth.”

AS THE CORE COMPONENT OF BURRATA, STRACCIATELLA CAN BE USED AS A FRESH, CREAMY, COST EFFECTIVE EQUIVALENT.

BELGIOIOSO CHEESE, INC.

“People are looking for something that’s unique—a little delicacy that they aren’t going to be able to make at home.”

Datassential. Its menu penetration has reached 6.7 percent, with 51 percent growth over the last four years. It most commonly appears as part of an appe tizer or deli salad small dish, making up about a third of all total menu applica tions. Burrata has also seen the second largest growth in terms of cheeses on pizza menus, increasing by 41 percent over the last four years. Burrata has a mild flavor and can easily take on the characteristics of the

nary standpoint, their versatility is a big part of the appeal. From a consumer standpoint, it’s the creamier lactic flavor and the sense that it’s a little indulgent.” Adding burrata and stracciatella to a menu can invigorate it with a halo of pre miumization. “What differentiates bur rata and stracciatella from fresh mozza rella is the higher cream factor,” Alfaro says. “You have the shreds of fresh moz zarella soaked in cream that make up stracciatella, which is what we like to

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