The two "rival" brothers producing the best burratas in the world

It's a celebration for burrata lovers. Two companies, one from Noci and one from Putignano, have brought Puglia to victory, declaring in an international competition the best burratas in the world. It's a unique coincidence to see two brothers on the podium: the Delizia company from Noci, ranked first, is led by Giovanni D'Ambruoso, while second place went to the Caseificio Artigiana from Putignano, owned by his brother Francesco D'Ambruoso.

World Championship Cheese Contest

It's the largest international competition in the dairy industry. An event held biennially since 1957. This year, there were 3,000 dairy products from around the world in competition, evaluated by 80 international judges. Cheeses are evaluated blind and judged based on appearance, aromatic and sensory profile, with a maximum score of 100.

During the event held from March 5th to 7th at the Monona Terrace in Madison, Wisconsin – a state known for cheese production in the United States, a sector experiencing a true renaissance – the burratas of the two D'Ambruoso brothers emerged victorious. Among the competing categories were aged cheeses (grana, cheddar, provolone, and asiago), blues like gorgonzola, soft cheeses like brie, and the inevitable category reserved for burrata, a dairy product increasingly appreciated abroad.

Two burratas both from the province of Bari

Eighteen companies entered burratas into the World Championship Cheese Contest. The top two spots were taken by the two Puglian companies, with the third place going to the burrata from a Canadian dairy. The Delizia company from Noci is a Spa that produces traditional Puglian cheeses, distributed in the Italian and international markets. Among its specialties is the world champion burrata as well as the "Deliziosa", namely the Gioia del Colle DOP mozzarella which, as per regulations, is produced with local milk (winner of the bronze in the "niche bovine" category in the blind test by Gambero Rosso). In the US competition, the Noci burrata won Best in Class with a score of 99.65, surpassing the second place by only 0.15 points.
The Caseificio Artigiana from Putignano also sells its products in the United States. Its most requested stretched curd cheeses overseas include, in addition to burrata, stracciatella, small-sized caciocavallo silano DOP, as well as mozzarella, smoked burrata, and smoked stracciatella. In the United States, Italy exports a total of 30,000 tons of cheeses. Thanks to the success of the D'Ambruoso brothers and the visibility gained at the World Championship Cheese Contest, Puglian burratas gain further ground in the US market, opening up additional export prospects.