“We’re happy to still produce a natural product, free of preservatives, just like dad has been doing for over 50 years!”
— Giuseppe Minoia, Second-generation Cheesemaker, Vannella General Manager
- Stracciatella is the decadent filling that hides at the heart of Vannella’s burrata. Sheets of cow’s milk mozzarella (called ‘sfilacci’) are torn into fine stringy pieces before being bathed in fresh cream.
- Vannella uses cream from the Riverina area of New South Wales, which is sourced from Holstein cows that graze happily on lush green pastures, giving the cream its ultimate richness and natural colour. They are proud to use “100% unadulterated milk” with no added preservatives, leading to a deliciously rich and creamy, and ultimately more nutritious product.
- Like with all cheeses made from fresh dairy and free from preservatives, the flavour profile of the stracciatella naturally evolves as the cheese ages, with more a pronounced acidity presenting progressively over the life of the cheese.
Looking after your stracciatella
To achieve the best life and consistency from stracciatella, a few key things can make a big difference.
Keep in cold – Stracciatella must be kept cold at all times, and stored at or below 4°C.
Mix it up – Stir the product well immediately after opening, using a clean and dry utensil.
Enjoy immediately – Stracciatella is a fresh cheese with a high moisture and fat content due to the cream. Once opened, stracciatella should be used within 2 days.
“Stracciatella, like with every other cheese we make, the flavour and texture will change everyday. We don’t produce commercial cheese from standardised milk and cream, therefore every batch will be unique.”
— Giuseppe Minoia
About Vannella
Vannella Cheese originates in Conversano, Puglia, a little town in the south of Italy where Pina Vannella was born. Founder and Head Cheesemaker Vito Minoia was born just 15km down the road.
At the age of sixteen, Vito began an apprenticeship learning how to hand stretch curds for Burrata and Stracciatella. Back then everything was done by hand.
Over the following years Vito worked in some of Italy’s best cheese factories, returning to Conversano to marry Pina, and later to open their business – Caseificio Vannella.
Eventually, their children Annarita and Giuseppe were born, and in 2004 the family moved to Australia. First to Cairns, operating their cheese factory close to the farms that provided their milk, and later moving to the city to bring their cheese closer to the tables where it was being served.
To this day, the Vannella business remains a true family-owned and operated business, with Vito mentoring generations of cheesemakers to come. His son Giuseppe and granddaughter Martina now work alongside him in production each day, handcrafting a variety of fresh, stretched curd cheeses that sing the traditions of their birthplace.
Recognised as pioneers in the industry, Australia has a lot to thank the Minoia family for as they helped introduce the ever-popular burrata to dining tables around the country. The family has gained a lot in return, over the years learning about many different dairy products from the people they have met along their journey. As a result, the Vannella range has evolved to include beautifully creamy buffalo feta, traditional oaxaca cheese, naturally fermented buffalo yogurt and much more.
When you taste a Vannella product, you taste the passion, history, and tradition all in one bite. And just like that, Vito has now been a cheesemaker for over fifty years. It’s all he’s ever done and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
