Happy national cheese lovers day!

At Eco, we’re HUGE fans of cheese! Amazing sourdough aside, cheese is a big part of what makes our food taste great. And like all things at Eco, we serve it the Italian way.

So, let’s take a look at all the incredible cheeses that bring Eco’s menu to life…

Il Formaggio = ‘Cheese’ in Italian

Believe it or not, Italy actually has the widest variety of cheeses in the world, with approximately 400 different varieties! Not to worry though, today we’ll only be looking at the select few that make Eco tick.

Mozzarella

If you don’t know this one, you’ve got to be living under a rock! Indeed, you can’t think of Italian cheese without visualising this stringy favourite.

Interestingly, mozzarella actually refers to any cheese that has been made from Italian buffalo milk and has been produced using a technique called ‘pasta filata’. In other words, mozzarella is often used as an umbrella term for a number of different cheeses.

Either way, mozzarella is a household favourite, loved for its soft, stretchy texture, which is perfect for pizzas. At Eco, all of our delicious sourdough pizzas are served with Fior di Latte mozzarella, a special version of the cheese that provides a more delicate taste and is less fatty than regular mozzarella.

You can also try buffalo mozzarella in our Caprese Salad!

Parmigiano-Reggiano

Better known as parmesan in the Western world, parmigiano-reggiano provides a rich, strong flavour alongside its flaky texture. This extra-hard cheese is actually named after its original areas of production, all in Italy of course: Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna and Mantova.

Parmesan can be traced back many centuries, with documents from the 13th and 14th centuries already demonstrating a very similar cheese to the one we know today. Much like in the Middle Ages, modern day parmesan is still made in a very natural way without any additives. Perhaps that’s why it’s known as the “King of Cheeses”!

This rich cheese is well adored by all Italian menus, and Eco’s is no different. You can experience the strong taste of parmesan in our creamy Carbonara dish, or appreciate this gem more subtly, as a final touch to your dish of choice.

Burrata

Unlike oldy but goldy parmesan, burrata is a relatively new cheese, having been developed in the 20th Century. This soft cheese is often mistaken for mozzarella (perhaps because the outer shell is made of mozzarella), but you can soon learn the difference after breaking into it to reveal an oozing cream and cheese curd mixture.

Indeed, this cheese is set on being creamy in nature and in name, with ‘burrata’ being derived from the word ‘burro’, or ‘butter’ as we know it.

Originated in Southern Italy, burrata has remained a vital ingredient in so many delicious Italian recipes. At Eco, we think burrata deserves more appreciation, so we’ve shone a light on it in dishes throughout our menu.

Taste this dreamy cheese on our Aubergine and Burrata Pizza, or let it take centre stage in our Burrata starter, served with cherry tomato, oregano, fresh thyme, pesto and olive oil. Fancy a healthier option? Try our tasty Burrata Tricolore salad.

What about the other 397 varieties?

While we can’t talk about every single Italian cheese right now (and trust us, we’d LOVE to), you can get a great taste of this variety in our Antipasto Misto - we’re talking provola, fontina and dolcelatte, parmesan and even burrata, alongside a fabulous range of flavoursome meats.

And you can’t go wrong with cheesecake at the end of your meal! Indulge in the creamy delicacy of mascarpone in our Blueberry Cheesecake, or even our delicious Tiramisu.

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