Mozzarella sticks
Fried breaded or battered mozzarella
title: "Mozzarella sticks" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["french-cuisine", "american-cuisine", "hors-d'oeuvres", "fried-cheese", "deep-fried-foods", "italian-american-cuisine", "fast-food"] description: "Fried breaded or battered mozzarella" topic_path: "geography/france" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozzarella_sticks" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Fried breaded or battered mozzarella ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox food"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Mozzarella sticks |
| image | Fried_Mozzarella_Sticks_at_Millers_Pub_(301456962).jpg |
| caption | Mozzarella sticks and marinara sauce |
| alternate_name | Hot Cheese Sticks |
| course | Hors d'oeuvre |
| served | Hot |
| main_ingredient | Mozzarella, batter or breading |
| :: |
| name = Mozzarella sticks | image = Fried_Mozzarella_Sticks_at_Millers_Pub_(301456962).jpg | image_size = | caption = Mozzarella sticks and marinara sauce | alternate_name = Hot Cheese Sticks | course = Hors d'oeuvre | served = Hot | main_ingredient = Mozzarella, batter or breading
Mozzarella sticks are elongated pieces of battered or breaded mozzarella, usually served as hors d'oeuvre.
Origins
The history of frying cheese in a batter dates back to at least 1393 in medieval France, when a recipe for fried cheese sticks appeared in Le Ménagier de Paris. However, food historians believe that medieval French fried cheeses had little in common with the preparation and development of modern mozzarella sticks.
Mozzarella sticks most likely have their origins in the United States during the 1970s, through a combination of two factors, as per historian Joel Jensen: "the increasing availability of mass-produced mozzarella cheese beginning in the 1960s", and the development of new efficient frying technologies to be used in fast-paced food-serving businesses (such as bowling alleys and sports bars). Food writer Arthur Schwartz describes mozzarella milanese, an Italian dish of mozzarella dredged in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs and then pan-fried as the "prototype" of the American mozzarella stick. He describes these as typically made from older mozzarella as a midweek meal, and as being eaten "within seconds" of emerging from the pan.
Preparation
Mozzarella sticks are prepared by coating cheese strings in breadcrumbs or batter. They may be baked or fried in oil. Mozzarella sticks are often served with tomato sauce or marinara sauce. However, they may be served with other dipping sauces such as plum sauce, jalapeño jelly, ketchup, barbecue sauce, honey mustard, and ranch dressing. Restaurants often serve fried mozzarella sticks with a marinara sauce.
Variations
Popular fried cheeses other than mozzarella include provolone, Edam, cheddar, and American. Mozzarella sticks with raspberry sauce are part of the regional cuisine of New York's Capital District. In many public schools throughout the United States, Bosco pizza sticks—soft breadsticks stuffed with mozzarella and served with a side of tomato sauce for dipping—have become a popular staple.
References
References
- "Le Menagier de Paris (Translated by Janet Hinson)".
- (February 2017). "The Mozzarella Stick's Origins Are Actually Fiercely Debated".
- (August 2020). "The Surprising Origin Of Mozzarella Sticks".
- Schwartz, Arthur. (1998). "Naples at Table: Cooking in Campania". [[HarperCollins]].
- "Mozzarella Sticks | Traditional Cheese Dish From United States of America | TasteAtlas".
- (6 February 2012). "New York State food regions map". All Over Albany.
- (16 July 2015). "How Bosco Sticks Became the Secret Weapon of Midwestern Cafeterias".
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