Scamorza Molisana Affumicata
I
Origin
Molise
II
Description
Molise's smoked stretched-curd cheese — the same pasta filata technique as Mozzarella but worked hotter and dried for 2-3 days until semi-firm, then cold-smoked over beech wood and cherry wood chips for 12-24 hours producing a burnished, amber-brown shell with a smoky, milky interior. Beloved grilled directly on the plancha or over coals where it softens and develops a caramelised, golden exterior while the interior melts to a pull-apart stringy mass. One of the most culinarily versatile cheeses in the southern Italian repertoire.
III
The Thread
—Both are stretched-curd (pasta filata) cheeses with identical cheesemaking technique — Mexican is formed into a ball-of-string shape and kept fresh, Southern Italian is dried and smoked, both melt with the characteristic pull-apart string Mexican
—Both are cheeses specifically designed to withstand high-heat cooking — halloumi brines in salt-whey to raise its melting point, scamorza affumicata is smoked and dried, both developing a golden crust when grilled while retaining internal structure Cypriot
IV
Flavour Context
Milky, smoky, with a caramelised crust when grilled and a stretchy, pull-apart interior — one of southern Italy's most satisfying cooking cheeses
Pillars V — VII
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