Amul Cheese Vs. Mozzarella Cheese

Cheese is a beloved food across cultures worldwide. With its rich, creamy texture and umami flavor, cheese adds a distinctive touch to cuisines from pizza to pasta, sandwiches, charcuterie boards, and much more.

Among many cheese varieties, two popular types are Amul cheese and mozzarella.

What Are Amul Cheese and Mozzarella Cheese

Amul cheese hails from India, where it is a beloved, nostalgic pantry staple for generations. Produced by the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, Amul cheese is a shelf-stable, processed cheese often sold canned with a long shelf life. It has a distinctive sour, funky, salty flavor profile. The texture is firm yet pliable when melted.

In contrast, mozzarella traces its roots to Italy. Traditional mozzarella cheese is made from the milk of water buffalos. The flavor is mild, creamy and faintly sweet, with a soft, stretchy texture when melted. Fresh mozzarella has high moisture content. There are also low-moisture mozzarella varieties used for cooking.

While both Amul and mozzarella melt smoothly, their differing origins, textures, and especially flavor profiles mean they cannot be used interchangeably. Their ideal culinary applications also differ.

Key Takeaway: Amul and mozzarella cheeses have different origins, flavors, textures and culinary uses despite both being able to melt well.

A Closer Look at Amul Cheese

Amul cheese is a processed, canned cheese hailing from India. It has a unique flavor profile and firm yet pliable texture when melted.

Origin and history

Amul cheese is produced by GCMMF (Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation) in India. Formed as a dairy cooperative in 1946 to provide milk and dairy products across India, Amul played an important role in the White Revolution of India's dairy industry. Amul cheese was developed as a shelf-stable product accessible nationwide, since refrigeration was limited in much of India at the time.

Flavor

With its sour, funky and salty notes, Amul cheese has a distinctive flavor unlike any other cheese. Made from water buffalo milk, it tends to be richer than cow's milk cheeses. The sourness comes from lactic acid and the aging process. Being a processed cheese, it also likely contains emulsifying salts that contribute to its unique tang.

Texture

Amul cheese has a firm, sliceable texture that gets pliable and stretchy when melted. This makes it perfect for grilled sandwiches and other melted applications. The firm texture also comes from the processing methods used to make it shelf-stable.

Manufacturing process

As a processed cheese, Amul is made by blending cheese curds or shreds with emulsifiers, then heating and stretching the mixture before canning or shaping into blocks. The emulsifiers allow the fatty and protein components to bind together. This gives the final cheese a uniform texture. Processing also extends the shelf life significantly.

Uses in Indian cuisine

Amul cheese is beloved in India for grilled sandwiches, vetting layered into parathas, grated onto tomato toasts, and beyond. It's a nostalgic flavor tying together generations. Indian restaurants worldwide also rely on Amul cheese for authentic flavor.

With its sourness, firm texture and long shelf life, Amul cheese fills a unique role in Indian cuisine and culture.

Characteristics of Mozzarella Cheese

Hailing from Italy, mozzarella cheese has a soft, mild flavor and silky melt. Traditional versions are made from the milk of water buffalos. The name mozzarella derives from the Italian verb "mozzare" meaning "to cut" - referring to the process of cutting and shaping the cheese.

Flavor profile

Fresh mozzarella has a soft, milky flavor with sweet, delicate notes. Low-moisture mozzarella for cooking is more bland. The flavor balances mild savory and sweet notes. Mozzarella does not have the pungent, funky flavor of cheeses like Amul.

Texture

Fresh mozzarella has a soft, pillowy texture and high moisture content up to 80%. Melted mozzarella is famous for its stringy, elastic quality on pizza. Low-moisture mozzarella varieties are firmer for cooking uses like pizza and lasagna.

Manufacturing

Traditional mozzarella is made by hand, shaped into balls or braids from curds immersed in hot whey. Commercial versions use cow's milk and machinery for efficient large-scale production. Low-moisture varieties go through additional processing to remove moisture for better cooking performance.

Culinary uses

Mozzarella stars in fresh Italian dishes like caprese salad and bruschetta. Its melt makes it perfect for pizza, lasagna, paninis and more. The soft fresh cheese can simply be sliced, drizzled with olive oil and enjoyed.

With its mild, milky flavor and silky melt, mozzarella fills a different role than the pungent, funky Amul cheese common in Indian cuisine.

Direct Comparison of Key Characteristics

While Amul cheese and mozzarella share some similarities, they differ distinctly when directly compared. Here is an overview of key parameters:

• Origin: Amul cheese hails from India, while mozzarella traces its roots to Italy.
• Flavor: Amul cheese is characterized by a sour, funky, salty flavor. Mozzarella has a mild, delicate milky flavor instead.
• Texture: Amul cheese is firm and sliceable, with a pliable melt. Mozzarella is soft and stretchy, especially when fresh.
• Manufacturing: Both undergo processing for stable shelf life, uniformity, and/or cooking performance. But Amul uses water buffalo milk while mozzarella uses cow's milk.
• Shelf life: Processed Amul cheese lasts up to 9 months unrefrigerated. Fresh mozzarella lasts about 1 month refrigerated.
• Culinary uses: Amul cheese is used in grilled sandwiches, pizzas and pastas. Mozzarella stars in caprese, bruschetta, pizza, salads and beyond.

Amul cheese has a pungent flavor and firm texture ideal for Indian dishes, while mozzarella offers a delicate milkiness perfect for Italian cuisine.

Amul Cheese Versus Mozzarella for Cooking

When it comes to melted cheese applications like grilled cheese, pizza and pasta bakes, Amul and mozzarella each have advantages.

Grilled cheese sandwiches

For grilled cheese, Amul cheese is the traditional choice, with its nostalgic flavor. The firm texture holds its shape inside the bread. Yet when melted, Amul cheese gets beautifully gooey and binds the sandwich together.

Mozzarella has a milder flavor that lets other ingredients shine. The soft fresh cheese becomes stringy and elastic when melted. For those desiring an authentic Indian flavor, Amul cheese is recommended in grilled sandwiches.

Pizza

Traditional Neapolitan pizza relies on the stringy melt of fresh mozzarella to achieve the perfect texture. Low-moisture mozzarella also bakes well atop pizza. Here, mozzarella's mild flavor balances the crust and other toppings.

Amul cheese can work on pizza but may overpower other flavors. The sour, funky notes dominate the palate compared to mozzarella. However, for those desiring an extra dimension of flavor, a blend of Amul and mozzarella could create an interesting pizza topping.

Pasta bakes or lasagna

In lasagna or pasta bakes, mozzarella is traditionally used for its mild flavor and creamy melt that pairs well with the sauce. Shredded low-moisture mozzarella blends beautifully into these dishes.

Amul cheese could work in moderation, as its sour taste can be divisive when too prominent. A touch of Amul cheese introduces a complexity less noticeable in the bold flavors of pasta bakes.

Overall for melted applications, mozzarella suits most Western palates, though Amul aficionados will insist on its distinctive savor. Blending the two cheeses creates a flavorful hybrid option.

Nutrition Comparison

When comparing nutritional values, Amul cheese and mozzarella are quite similar despite their different origins and flavors.

Fat and calories

Fresh mozarella contains around 80-85% moisture. A 1 oz (28g) serving provides 101 calories and 9g fat.

Amul cheese is lower moisture at 50%. A 1 oz (28g) serving delivers 113 calories and 9g fat.

Protein

The same portion of mozzarella offers 6g protein, while Amul cheese has 7g.

Vitamins and minerals

Levels of calcium, phosphorus, B vitamins are comparable between the two cheeses. Mozzarella provides slightly more vitamin A.

Overall, Amul and mozzarella offer similar nutritional value, providing protein, calcium and other nutrients found in dairy products. The key is moderate portion sizes, as cheese is high in calories and saturated fat.

Popularity and Availability

Among Indian consumers, Amul cheese reigns supreme given its storied history and nostalgic taste. However, outside India, mozzarella is by far the more common choice.

Restaurants worldwide use mozzarella for Italian dishes like pizza and pasta. Fresh mozzarella is readily available in groceries to make salads and appetizers. Most consumers buying cheese opt for mozzarella out of familiarity and its crowd-pleasing mild flavor.

Amul cheese is still gaining awareness outside of the Indian diaspora. For those seeking authentic cuisine, Amul cheese delivers a flavor like no other. Its unique popularity in India has led some restaurants to import it when making dishes like grilled cheese sandwiches and stuffed naan breads.

While mozzarella dominates the global market, interest in Amul cheese is rising as more people try authentic Indian foods. The iconic cheese remains intrinsic to dishes from the Indian subcontinent.

FAQs

What is the difference between Amul cheese and mozzarella cheese?

The main differences are that Amul cheese hails from India and has a sour, funky, salty flavor, while mozzarella is originally from Italy and has a mild, sweet, creamy flavor. Amul cheese is also processed for shelf stability unlike fresh mozzarella.

Can you use Amul cheese instead of mozzarella?

You can substitute Amul cheese for mozzarella in recipes, but the flavor will be noticeably sharper and more pungent. Using a blend of both cheeses will give a more balanced flavor.

Is Amul cheese better for grilled cheese than mozzarella?

Amul cheese is the traditional choice for grilled cheese in India and gives a distinctive, sour flavor. Mozzarella melts well but has a milder taste. Use Amul cheese for authentic Indian flavor or mozzarella for a crowd-pleasing sandwich.

Is mozzarella or Amul cheese healthier?

Amul cheese and mozzarella have very similar nutrition profiles. Amount of fat, protein, calcium and other nutrients are comparable. For health, moderate cheese consumption based on daily calorie needs.

Why is Amul cheese popular in India but mozzarella more common worldwide?

Amul cheese has a storied history in India and nostalgic appeal, so it's an icon there. Mozzarella is known globally as an Italian cheese used on pizza and in other cuisines, hence its widespread popularity outside India.

Conclusion

Amul and mozzarella offer two distinct cheese experiences, despite both melting appealingly.

Amul cheese shines in Indian dishes with its characteristic funky bite.

Mozzarella takes center stage in Italian cuisine, where its mild and creamy flavor profile suits fresh appetizers and baked dishes perfectly.