- Mozzarella Sizes
- Why Does Mozzarella Cheese Come in Different Sizes?
- Types of Mozzarella by Size
- How to Choose the Best Mozarella Size
- What is Perlini?
- How Does Mozzarella Pearls Taste Like?
- What is Noccioline?
- What is Ciliegine Mozzarella Cheese?
- What Kind of Cheese is Ciliegine?
- How Does Ciliegine Mozzarella Balls Taste Like?
- What is Bocconcini Mozzarella Cheese?
- How Does Bocconcini Mozzarella Balls Taste Like?
- What is Ovolini Mozzarella Cheese?
- Fior di Latte and di Bufala Mozzarella Cheese
- What is Nodini Mozzarella Cheese?
- What is Burrata?
- What is the difference between Ciliegine and Bocconcini?
- What Is The Difference Between Ovoline And Ciliegine?
- What is the Best Mozzarella Size for Pizza?
- Where to Buy Italian Cheese
- The Last Slice
- Additional Cheese Resources
- Check Amazon’s Pizza-Making Must-Haves
Mozzarella Sizes
Are you confused with all the different mozzarella ball sizes?
Have you ever been to the supermarket and looked at all these cheeses with these weird Italian names?
They all look the same, right?
So how do you know which one to pick?
No worries, in this article, we will go over all the different types of fresh mozzarella sizes, how they differ in preparation and what all those Italian names mean.
So, let’s get started!
Mozzarella Sizes
Fresh mozzarella cheese is known by various names depending on its size and form. The most common mozzarella sizes in grocery stores are the pound log and half-pound balls, ideal for slicing.
But they also have other types of mozzarella sizes, usually kept in water, that share the same mozzarella making process. The other mozzarella sizes include pearls, noccioline, ciliegine, bocconcini, and ovolini.
Although there may be some variance across varieties and between cheesemakers, the basic process is the same. Milk is heated to a temperature of 90 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit, after which rennet (i.e., enzymes that thicken milk during the cheesemaking process ) and either citric acid or vinegar are added. This process activates the mixture and causes it to curdle.
At this point, the solids (or curds) are cut into pieces and separated from the liquid (or whey), the residual of which gradually drains as the curds rest and solidify. Soon thereafter, when they have reached the proper pH, they are slightly heated, salted, and shaped.
Why Does Mozzarella Cheese Come in Different Sizes?
The size of fresh mozzarella will depend on the application that it will be used. For example, if you are snacking, it is better to have more petite balls because they are easier to eat than you can in just one bite.
To make salads, you will have different options, depending on how you want that salad to look.
For example, in a Caprese salad, you will need a slightly bigger mozzarella ball because that particular salad intends to show big slices of tomatoes and cheese arranged by color.
Types of Mozzarella by Size
There are different types of mozzarella sizes:
- Perlini or Mozzarella Pearls (Pearl size)
- Noccioline (Nut size)
- Ciliegine (Cherry size)
- Bocconcini (Bite size)
- Ovolini (Egg size)
- Fior di Latte and di Bufala (Ball Size)
- Burrata (Ball Size)
- Nodini (Knot)

How to Choose the Best Mozarella Size
The key to choosing the best mozzarella sizes is symmetry; keep everything the same size.
To select the best size for your application, think of what you will make with the mozzarella ball, and try to imagine how they will look in terms of size and how they will interact with other ingredients.
Regarding flavor, regular fresh mozzarella balls tend to be bland compared to cheddar cheese or smoked mozzarella. So the key is not to overpower the cheese flavor when combined with other ingredients.
The best approach is to keep the mozzarella size the same as the other ingredients. For example:
- Cherry tomatoes with Ciliegine
- Campari tomatoes with Bocconcini
- Roma tomatoes with Ovalini
However, if the mozzarella is the show’s star, choose a bigger size, like the 8 oz mozzarella ball. Because it will be plated on its own, and all the attention should be focused on that big ball of cheese.

Now, let’s look at all these different cheeses so you know what we are talking about.
What is Perlini?
Perlini, also known as mozzarella pearls, is a mozzarella cheese that originated in Italy. This variety of mozzarella is the tiniest of them all, resembling pearl like balls, thus the name. Perlini cheese is made from pasteurized cow’s milk or water buffalo milk.

How Does Mozzarella Pearls Taste Like?
The texture is light and airy, with delicate, mild, and milky tastes.
Because of its tiny size, this mozzarella is ideal for savory tartlets because it melts rapidly and doesn’t absorb much liquid. Add a little flaky sea salt for additional flavor, and you are all set!
You can use perlini for salads, snacks, and simple pasta meals.
What is Noccioline?
Noccioline are nut-sized mozzarella balls; they are delicate and fresh, making them ideal for pizza. This 100% whole cow’s milk mozzarella is porcelain white with a deliciously smooth and luscious texture.
The name noccioline comes from the Italian word for “nut” and refers to the cheese’s size.
They should call them “right-size” because of their size and melting capability, making them perfect for pizza.
What is Ciliegine Mozzarella Cheese?
Ciliegine is a variety of mozzarella cheese that originated in Italy. It comprises little, silky white mozzarella balls prepared from pasteurized cow’s milk or, in some instances, water buffalo’s milk.
Ciliegine is somewhat bigger than noccioline but smaller than bocconcini.
The name ciliegine comes from the Italian word for cherry and refers to the cheese’s size.
What Kind of Cheese is Ciliegine?
Ciliegine are cherry size mozzarella balls; they are delicate and fresh, making them ideal for salads and snacking.
These smooth, porcelain white pearls are made from fresh; local milk is collected only a few hours after milking.
How Does Ciliegine Mozzarella Balls Taste Like?
The flavor is light, delicate, fresh, and milky, while the texture is soft, spongy, and elastic. These little mozzarella balls are usually supplied in brine and used in salads and snacks.
What is Bocconcini Mozzarella Cheese?
Bocconcini is an Italian cheese that comes from the Campania region. It’s a mozzarella-like cheese around the size of an egg created using water buffalo milk or a mix of buffalo and cow milk.

The name bocconcini come from the Italian word bocconcini, which means little bites in Italian and refers to the shape and form of the cheese.
Eating it raw or using it on pizzas or vegetable-based meals is best.
How Does Bocconcini Mozzarella Balls Taste Like?
The texture of these rindless tiny balls is semi-soft, creamy, elastic, and springy, with mild, buttery, and somewhat sweet tastes.
What is Ovolini Mozzarella Cheese?
Ovolini is a spongey, silky, porcelain-white fresh Mozzarella cheese with a mild flavor.
These egg-shaped cheeses are packed in water for freshness and have a soft consistency and flexible flexibility, making them enjoyable to eat.

These fresh Mozzarella balls are delicious or refreshing to your favorite Caprese salad.
Fior di Latte and di Bufala Mozzarella Cheese
Both fior di latte mozzarella and buffalo milk mozzarella cheese; you can typically find them in balls ranging from 4 to 8 ounces, a fairly standard large ball.
The preparation of these cheeses is very similar; however, the significant difference is in the milk. Fior di latte mozzarella cheese is made from cow’s milk, while mozzarella di bufala is made from buffalo’s milk.
What is Nodini Mozzarella Cheese?
Nodini are little, silky, and shiny hand-shaped knots of fresh mozzarella fior di latte.
It’s typically prepared using pasteurized cow’s milk, but it can also be created with the milk of water buffaloes.

The flavor is milky and fresh, while the texture is delightful, soft, stringy, elastic, and chewy.
Nodini can be eaten alone or with ingredients like cold meats and fresh veggies.
The knotty form of the cheese exposes a larger surface area, making it suitable for different sauces and olive oil to engulf the nodini thoroughly.
What is Burrata?
Burrata, “buttered” in Italian, is an artisan cheese from Puglia. Cow’s milk, rennet, and cream are used to prepare the cheese.
The cheese is thought to have been invented by Lorenzo Bianchino Chieppa, a cheesemaker who created a shell out of stretched mozzarella threads and filled it with sweet, creamy cream and smaller, leftover pieces of mozzarella.
The outcome was a real delicacy with the creamiest inside and a creamy fresh milk flavor rapidly gaining a following.
Burrata should be consumed as soon as possible, ideally within 24 hours. It’s fantastic on its own, seasoned merely with salt, pepper, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Still, it’s also great with fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, and prosciutto or topping for pizzas or bruschettas.

Types of Mozzarella Sizes
What is the difference between Ciliegine and Bocconcini?
Both Bocconcini and Ciliegine are mozzarella cheeses. The difference between ciliengine and bocconcini is their size. Bocconcini cheese is small balls, while Ciliegine mozzarella is much smaller, like a cherry.
Bocconcini, “small bits” in Italian, are bite-sized Mozzarella cheeses that originated in Naples and were previously prepared solely from water buffalo milk.
They’re mild unripened cheeses in plastic tubs filled with whey or water and are semi-soft, white, and rindless.
Bocconcini are often produced from a combination of water buffalo and cow’s milk. Because this delectable cheese is perishable, it’s essential to eat it immediately.
These rindless small balls are semi-soft, creamy, elastic, and springy in texture, while the flavors are mild, buttery, and slightly sweet.
They’re perfect for marinating or tossed in a cherry tomato salad.

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What Is The Difference Between Ovoline And Ciliegine?
Both Ovoline and Ciliegine are the same kinds of mozzarella cheese. The difference between Ovoline and ciliegine is their size; Ovoline cheese is larger balls, about the size of an egg, while Ciliegine mozzarella is much smaller, more the size of a cherry.
What is the Best Mozzarella Size for Pizza?
The short answer is it depends.
If you want to melt the mozzarella in the oven while the pizza cooks, it is best to choose a small mozzarella size, that would be either the pearls or the noccioline; anything bigger than that will not melt.
If you want the cheese to melt extra fast in strings, choose a low moisture mozzarella cheese instead of fresh mozzarella.

The other problem is that big balls of mozzarella on top of the pizza will look out of place.
If you choose a bigger size of fresh mozzarella, then you have to manually tear the cheese into smaller pieces so it will slightly melt.

Where to Buy Italian Cheese
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The Last Slice
We hope you can now know the difference in mozzarella sizes you can find at the cheese counter at your local supermarket and what those Italian names mean. So you can be a cheese ball PRO!
Check Amazon’s Pizza-Making Must-Haves
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Additional Cheese Resources
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Mozzarella Pearls: Everything You Need to Know
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