The crust on a pizza is the most important part of the pizza. However, you need to add the flavors so here is a list of what type of cheese tastes best on a pizza.
While the crust holds the ingredients on the pizza, it is bland. So you need other ingredients to get the flavor that you want and cheese is one of those strong flavors that you need in a pizza.
Cheese is sometimes argued especially about the type that will best fit the pizza. Well, it really depends on what type of pizza you want to cook as there is a lot to choose from.
Aside from the sauce that you put on the pizza, the cheese also binds the flavors from the different toppings. So you need to choose the right type of cheese to put on your pizza.
In my opinion, there is no single type of cheese that will fit best with all the types of pizza that there is. So it is all about preference on which flavors you want to combine with each other.
Mozzarella and parmesan are two of the most common types of cheese that are put on a pizza. However, there is a lot more cheese that you can choose from and we have a list for you.
This post will let you know all about the most common types of cheese that you can put on your pizza and on what type of pizza do they fit in to know where you can put them.
It will also include the lesser-known types of cheese so you will have the freedom to choose from the list and experiment whether or not the cheese fits with the pizza that you want.
So first, let us start with the most common ones and see where they can be used best. This way, you will have a warm-up for the more unusual cheeses on the list.
1. Mozzarella Cheese
Mozzarella cheese is the most popular type of cheese to put on a pizza. It is because of the very simple process that allows the users to use it in most recipes, not only for pizza.
This type of cheese is filled with a creamy texture and a light taste. It is used even in pizzas that do not have many fats in it just to add the flavor and the texture of a little bit of oil.
It was made common in pizzas by putting it in the simplest types of pizzas. Margherita is perhaps the most common pizza that has mozzarella cheese, Neapolitan pizza too.
The light vibe of the Margherita pizza with the fresh mints added on top combines well with the light flavor and texture of the mozzarella. It also goes well with meat such as pepperoni.
The right way to use mozzarella on a pizza is to slice it thinly and drain the excess moisture from it. That way, the crust will not become soggy when you bake it.
Combining mozzarella with other types of cheese is also popular. It is perfect for balancing the strong taste of other cheeses and making them creamy for a more flavorful pizza.
2. Cheddar Cheese
Cheddar cheese is perhaps one of the strongest cheeses out there. It has the perfect blend with the toppings of most pizzas so it is made with mostly-bland ingredients.
This cheese contains crystallized salt inside that adds a bit of different flavor to the other ingredients in the pizza. This way, it does not leave any type of pizza without taste.
The strong presence of cheddar cheese is what makes it remarkable. It helps in binding the other flavors from the toppings together and gives you that salty taste that you want in a pizza.
It goes perfectly well with vegetables and meat. The spicier the pizza is, the better as the cheddar reduces that spiciness and combines it with a rich, creamy texture.
If you use cheddar cheese on your pizza, usually, you shred it first to distribute the strong taste. Slicing it or putting it in bulk will only give you slaty spots and bland areas on the other.
Taste is a great thing about cheese, obviously. However, the color also adds to the beauty of the pizza that you cook as the cheddar cheese gives a strong orange color to it.
Perfectly versatile, the cheddar cheese can also be used in many different recipes. Pizzas, chicken wings, burgers, salads, and many more foods to add more flavor combinations.
3. Provolone Cheese
This cheese is also one of the most popular cheeses to blend with the common pizza toppings. It also perfectly blends with the flavors of other cheeses so it really is perfect for pizzas.
Provolone cheese is one of the hardest cheeses to select as it varies in taste. This is because most provolone cheeses are aged in a different way or others are aged far longer than some.
So the taste will actually vary depending on the amount of time spent in aging the cheese. The shorter the time of aging, the creamier and sweeter the Provolone cheese will be.
The sharp taste of saltiness and dryness is attained when the Provolone cheese is aged for a longer time. So with this cheese, you can alter the flavor of the pizza to your liking.
The slightly weaker taste of Provolone cheese makes it great when it is combined with tangy flavors. Tangy is a trademark of the sauce used in pizzas so it is really great with this cheese.
For me, I prefer using Provolone cheese on pizzas that do not have as much meat in them. This is because it gives a fresher taste to the vegetable toppings as opposed to the oily meat.
4. Parmesan Cheese
One of the most famous cheeses used on pizzas yet one of the ones often cooked in the wrong way. Parmesan cheese is a hard cheese but it is very delicate as well.
The flavor that Parmesan cheese emits is good for blending with other cheeses. However, you should never put it inside the oven or bake it along with other cheeses as it will not work.
See, the umami taste and flavor that Parmesan cheese produces is very delicate and will only burn or even worse, be released when you apply heat to the Parmesan cheese.
Parmesan cheese is usually used as a garnish. You allow it to melt over the already cooked toppings so the flavor does not burn away and will give your pizza a better flavor.
If you love cheese, then you most likely love Parmesan cheese. It is the perfect garnish for pizzas like Sicilian and Hawaiian pizza as it enhances the freshness and flavor of the toppings.
However, you are not limited to fresh vegetables only as you can also add it to meat toppings on your pizza. Whatever the type of pizza is, it will go great with Parmesan cheese on top of it.
5. Parmigiano-Reggiano
Perhaps one of the cheeses on the expensive side of things, Parmigiano-Reggiano is a very strong cheese known for its fragrant aroma which is rare for most cheeses.
The secret behind the strong taste of the Parmigiano-Reggiano is all about the process. It is matured or aged for three years before it leaves the shelves and onto the markets.
It is made out of pure cows’ milk that is raised only from the northern parts of Italy. The cows are found near the river Po and from there, they get rare nutrients not found anywhere else.
It has one of the rarest flavors in any cheese. It is made with browned butter to give some sort of sweetness and then it is produced with hazelnuts and a few pinches of salt.
These combined flavors give the natural sweetness and saltiness flavor of the cheese to create the umami taste. This cheese is perfect for pizza garnishes as both melted or shredded.
This cheese is considered as one of the royalties of cheeses. It certainly deserves a spot on this list and you should definitely consider buying one for your next pizza-cooking sessions.
6. Goat Cheese
This cheese is not the most common type of cheese to put on pizza because it does not melt like mozzarella cheese or parmesan. However, it does add flavors to the pie.
If you ever try this one, pinch balls from the cheese and simply scatter them evenly on top of the pizza. The cheese will soften up when you bake the pizza in the oven.
This cheese produces fresh flavors that help your pizza make great-tasting toppings. The flavor from this cheese stays on the palate and gives you that creamy texture on the pizza.
It perfectly combines with the slight sweetness that comes from caramelized onions and peppers. So if you want a healthy pizza, you can use goat cheese for the pie.
Goat cheese accentuates the freshness of herbs and vegetables with its tangy taste and savory flavor. This way, your pizza will be all about flavor with every bite you take.
7. Ricotta
This is not a common cheese for the common pizza. Ricotta is usually used with white sauce pizza as it gives the pizza a creamy base when mixed with other cheeses.
The common cheeses blended with Ricotta are mozzarella cheese, gruyere, and fontina to create the creaminess that enhances the flavor of the white sauce that you use.
It is also perfect for white meat toppings such as shrimp, chicken, and also with greens like peppers and broccoli. This makes the Ricotta the perfect blend for healthy pizzas.
8. Gorgonzola
Usually, creaminess is not associated with strong flavors. However, with this cheese, you get both aroma and soft texture by using milk from cows in the northern parts of Italy.
This cheese is marbled and has a slight blue color to it. It is perfect for any type of pizza as it gives tones of hazelnut and other sweeteners to keep the pizza exciting flavor-wise.
The flavor of this pizza also develops as it ages. The mild taste is created in the earlier aging stages of the cheese and then it becomes stronger as it ages longer.
The taste that it brings to pizzas is a unique strong flavor that develops in your mouth. But not to worry as this cheese does not become too strong on the palate.
It is perfect for any type of pizza as it accentuates and binds any flavor that you put on the pizza. Just be sure to use sparingly if the Gorgonzola you got is aged for a long time.
Conclusion
So now that you have all the best cheeses to use on your pizza, make sure to select the best pizza sauce and toppings to combine with the cheese of your choice.
The secret to making perfect pizzas aside from keeping the crust crispy is combining the ingredients that go well with each other. Cheese is an important part of that blending.
The best cheese comes with the best flavors. So you can experiment with which cheese fits best with your local pizza or even better, make time to create your own flavors.
Just make sure to taste how strong the cheese is so that you do not overwhelm the pizza with the flavor of the cheese. From there, you will be making the perfect pizzas!
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