Mozzarella sticks are an appetizer made by frying mozzarella cheese sticks after dipping them in batter. It’s delicious, addictive, and perfect for every occasion. Considered by many to be the ultimate comfort food, mozzarella sticks are a great way to start a meal. They also work super well as a simple, yet delicious snack.
If you’re wondering where this tasty appetizer came from and where to order it from, keep reading!
Weirdly enough, mozzarella sticks are neither American nor Italian. In fact, this cheesy appetizer actually originated in France.
The first mention of a recipe similar to what we know today as mozzarella sticks dates back to 1393. Found in a French cookbook, the recipe called for whisked egg yolks, flour, salt, and a little wine.
It also demanded thin slices of cheese, not sticks. The instructions were to then coat the slices with the batter and fry them until golden brown. An interesting addition to the recipe was beef marrow.
In modern terms, mozzarella sticks became popular in America in the 1970s, with the invention of the deep fryer. Given that mozzarella was abundant right around that time, this recipe makes sense.
Many different people will list many different reasons for why they love mozzarella sticks. However, one common one is that iconic cheese pull.
There’s nothing quite like it!
To figure out why the cheese pull is so good, we did a little digging. As it turns out, this type of fried cheese has low levels of moisture and low butterfat. It’s exactly these two things that allow the cheese to stretch as it does, resulting in the picture-perfect cheese pull.
Another common reason is the fact that mozzarella sticks go with a variety of different sauces. From marinara sauce to ranch dressing to ketchup, you can dip a mozz stick in any sauce!
Finally, we have the fact that the homemade mozzarella sticks recipe is pretty simple. Whether prepped at home or at a restaurant, mozz sticks are fast, easy, and always tasty!
The classic recipe calls for mozzarella sticks, bread crumbs, and some seasoning. First, you need to freeze the mozzarella sticks. Once frozen, they’re coated in egg yolks and bread crumbs or a special kind of batter.
Seasoning like Italian seasoning is usually very popular, although things like parsley are a fan-favorite, too!
After they’re coated, the sticks are fried and dried on paper towels to lose some of the oil.
By default, you can expect mozzarella sticks to be pretty heavy in terms of calories. After all, they’re nothing but deep fried pieces of cheese in a bread crumb mixture. So, to answer your question, no, mozz sticks aren’t the healthiest of snacks out there.
100 grams of this appetizer holds around 330 calories, with 19g of fat, 25g of carbs, and 15g of protein. If you’re unsure how many sticks are in a 100 grams, it’s usually around 3-4.
If this number seems high, you can always try to skip the deep frying and opt for an air fryer instead. Skipping the vegetable oil will significantly lower the calories in the sticks, making it a healthier version.
However, we’d like to highlight that every food is a healthy food when included in a healthy diet. If you maintain your daily calorie intake within the normal levels, a few pieces of mozzarella cheese are great!
If all this reading made you hungry for some sticks of your own, you’re in luck! Below, we’re including a list of a few restaurants you can try.
For everyone in NYC, we’re highlighting Claudio’s Pizzeria. Their homemade mozzarella sticks are extremely good!
If you’re in Boston, try Olympic House of Pizza.
Finally, to everyone in Baltimore, we’re recommending Tov Pizza as well as Filippo’s Pizzeria!
If you didn’t find your city on our short list, you can browse local restaurants on our website. Search either by location or by dish and soon enough you’ll find your new favorite eatery!
Best mozzarella sticks in town.
Question:🧀What are mozzarella sticks made of?
Question:🧀What do you eat with mozzarella sticks?
Question:🧀What sauces are good with mozzarella sticks?