Scamorza Cheese: Plain and Smoked, How It Melts and What to Swap

It comes in two forms, plain (bianca) and smoked (affumicata), and both melt and brown without turning watery.

Shaped by hand, scamorza is a ball with a small head tied off with string. The short aging is the main difference from fresh mozzarella and the reason it behaves better in a hot oven.

Scamorza cheese at a glance

Here is scamorza cheese at a glance, based on US federal rules and the sources below.

What scamorza cheese is

Scamorza cheese is a pasta filata cheese from southern Italy, made by heating the curd and kneading it until it stretches smooth, the same family as mozzarella and provolone. The name comes from the Italian word scamozzare, "to decapitate," a reference to the shape of the head. The Cheese Professor notes that the unsmoked version is more common in the north and the smoked in the south.

After the curd is stretched, it is shaped, often tied with string and hung to dry for a few weeks. That drying is what separates scamorza from fresh mozzarella, and the cheese is meant to be cooked more than eaten as a soft ball.

Scamorza cheese vs mozzarella and provolone

Scamorza cheese sits between mozzarella and provolone: firmer and denser than mozzarella, but younger and milder than aged provolone. US law treats it as a close relative of mozzarella. Under the FDA standard for low-moisture mozzarella and scamorza, a cheese with more than 45 and no more than 52 percent moisture and at least 45 percent milkfat in its solids may be labeled either "low-moisture mozzarella" or "low-moisture scamorza".

Provolone is aged longer. The FDA's provolone standard allows at most 45 percent moisture and requires at least 45 percent milkfat in the solids, and the cheese may be smoked if the label says so. The mozzarella vs provolone comparison covers the other two in depth.

Plain vs smoked scamorza cheese

Plain and smoked scamorza cheese start as the same cheese. Plain scamorza is white and milky, a firmer, more savory version of mozzarella. Smoked scamorza is cured over smoke, which tans the skin and adds a savory, woody flavor. Smoking was historically a way to preserve cheese, which let it travel with shepherds.

Smoke quality varies. Naturally smoked scamorza tastes more subtle, while synthetic smoke flavor can be intense enough to cover the cheese. Read the label for "smoked" and any note on how it was smoked if flavor matters.

How scamorza cheese melts

Scamorza cheese melts into a stretchy, golden layer because it has been stretched like mozzarella but holds less water. Less moisture means less liquid weeping onto a pizza or a baked pasta, and more browning in a hot oven or a pan. That is why it is a favorite on top of dishes rather than inside salads.

For more melters, compare the best melting cheeses; for pizza, the best cheeses for pizza shows where it fits. Grate or slice it cold and keep the heat moderate, or the surface will brown before the middle softens.

How to cook with scamorza cheese

Cook with scamorza cheese by letting it melt and brown. In southern Italy it is seared in a pan with honey until crusty and served with bread, baked into pasta al forno with tomato sauce, or stirred into pasta e patate alla Napoletana. Northern cooks use it in salads and on pizza, treating it more as an ingredient than as a cheese for the board. In the US it also turns up on burgers and avocado toast, and in grilled cheese.

A simple pan-fried slice works for dinner: cut a thick slice, set it in a hot, dry nonstick pan until the underside crisps, flip, and serve with a bit of honey or a squeeze of lemon. Smoked scamorza also suits roasted vegetables and polenta. Italian table wines, light reds for smoked and crisp whites for plain, are a safe bet, and the pairing guide has beer and fruit options.

Scamorza cheese substitutes

Scamorza cheese substitutes depend on the job. For melting, use low-moisture mozzarella, which is milder and slightly softer. For smoky depth, use smoked provolone, which is US-standard cheese that may be smoked. Caciocavallo is a close stretched-curd relative, and for a pizza or panini, a young provolone dolce also works. The Substitute Finder lists more swaps, and the mozzarella guide explains low-moisture mozzarella.

What most scamorza advice gets wrong

Most scamorza advice repeats a few shortcuts that cost you flavor.

Scamorza is not just smoked mozzarella

Scamorza is not just smoked mozzarella, because the aging and drying change its texture before any smoke is added. A plain scamorza is already firmer and denser than fresh mozzarella.

Smoked scamorza cheese is not always natural smoke

Smoked scamorza cheese is not always naturally smoked, and the difference shows in flavor. If a label lists smoke flavoring, expect a harsher taste than naturally smoked cheese.

Scamorza cheese does not need a long time to ripen

Scamorza cheese does not need a long time to ripen, since the aging runs to a few weeks to a month, unlike a long-aged provolone. Buy it when you plan to cook with it.

Questions about scamorza cheese

These are the questions about scamorza cheese that come up most.

How is scamorza cheese different from mozzarella?

Scamorza cheese is a stretched-curd cheese like mozzarella, but it is aged a few weeks, so it is firmer and denser, and it is often smoked.

What does smoked scamorza cheese taste like?

Smoked scamorza cheese tastes milky and mild with savory, woody smoke, and it has a tan skin from the smoking.

Is scamorza cheese good for melting?

Scamorza cheese is good for melting because its lower moisture lets it brown and stretch without turning watery, which suits pizza and baked dishes.

How do you store scamorza cheese?

Store scamorza cheese wrapped in the fridge, and plan to use it within a week or two once opened; the smoked version's flavor may deepen as it sits. The storing cheese guide covers wraps.

What is scamorza cheese made from?

Scamorza cheese is made mostly from cow's milk, though sheep and water buffalo versions exist, and US rules allow buffalo milk for the low-moisture standard.

Your first scamorza cheese

For your first scamorza cheese, buy one smoked ball and one plain, sear a slice of each in a hot pan, and eat them with bread. Then use the rest on a pizza or in a baked pasta. See the guide to Italian cheeses for the rest of the family.