We now have true Italian mozzarella made locally right here on our U.A.E doorstep. You don’t believe FooDiva do you, well neither did I until my tasting at Dubai Garden Centre’s weekly Ripe market.

Produced by Italian Dairy Products, an Italian family business based in Sharjah and helmed by the bubbly Maria Luisa Panzica La Manna, the mozzarella uses pasteurised cow’s milk from local U.A.E farms.

Now this is not to be confused with Buffalo mozzarella, a protected designation of origin product made from water buffalo milk in Lazio and Campania in Italy. But oh my it is just as good. The cheesemaker kneads it with his hands until it’s a smooth, shiny paste, cutting off a strand (mozzare translates to cut off), which he then plaits to form the mozzarella as pictured here.

Maria also sells ricotta, and FooDiva’s fave, burrata whose outer shell is solid mozzarella, whilst the inside contains both mozzarella and wait for this, fresh cream which when sliced open, oozes out buttery soft cheese. Thanks to the likes of La Petite Maison dishing it up, burrata has become quite trendy in Dubai – mind you Medzo also serves up an equally as scrumptious burrata starter.

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