Stracciatella vs burrata: what's the difference?
Stracciatella is the creamy, shredded filling that goes inside burrata; burrata is that filling wrapped in a mozzarella pouch, so they taste nearly the same but eat differently.
Stracciatella
Very lightIndulgent
SubtleBig punch
MellowZingy
Spoonable shreds of fresh curd in cream, served loose.
Burrata
Very lightIndulgent
SubtleBig punch
MellowZingy
The same creamy filling, tucked inside a chewy mozzarella shell.
What does Burrata taste like?The real difference
Stracciatella is fresh mozzarella curd pulled into shreds and soaked in cream. Sold on its own, it's a loose, spoonable cheese. Burrata wraps it in a pouch of mozzarella, so you get a chewy shell plus the runny middle. Restaurants use stracciatella when they want to spread it.
Side by side
StracciatellaBurrata
FormLoose, spoonableA tied ball with a shell
TextureStringy, creamy all throughChewy outside, runny inside
On a menuOn pizza, toast, pasta, saladsWhole on a plate to tear open
Which to order
- Order stracciatella if you want creamy cheese spread over every bite.
- Order burrata if you want the fun of cutting it open at the table.
Quick questions
- Is stracciatella cheese the same as stracciatella gelato?
- No. The cheese is shredded curd in cream. The gelato is milk gelato with chocolate shavings. Both names come from an Italian word for shreds.
- Is stracciatella richer than burrata?
- Spoon for spoon, about the same, since it is burrata's filling. Burrata just adds a firmer mozzarella shell.