MozzaVella is a mozzarella-style vegan cheese by Züger from Oberbüren in Switzerland. According the the producer’s website “‘MozzaVella’ is a true innovation – it’s the first vegan mozzarella ball in brine on the market.”1 The main ingredients mentioned are almonds and oats, however it should be noted oat flower only makes up 0.5% of the ingredients.
As it comes packaged in a plastic bag of brine, it appears much like a typical dairy-based mozzarella. The shape and colour are also match the expectations for a mozzarella alternative. At the same time, it is still a different consistency to a dairy mozzarella. It is both quite flexible and firm, while also more like a smooth and airy paste when comparing to a mozzarella.
When tasting MozzaVella, we noted an acidic freshness that primarily we associated with yoghurt, likely the added lactic acid. Secondarily, we note a slight nutty taste, we assume from the almonds.
While it would not be a choice for our cheese platter, we thought it could be probably be used best in a Caprese salad. We also confirmed it can also be melted in slices on top of a pizza.
