How sumptuous you find a pizza has a lot to do with how yummy the cheese looks.
Now, a study reveals that the elasticity, moisture, water activity and transition temperature all influence the colour uniformity of cheeses.
The researchers evaluated the pizza-baking performance of different cheeses (mozzarella, cheddar, colby, Edam, Emmental, Gruyere and provolone) in conjunction with a new technique to see how their composition and functional differences affected browning and blistering.
Blisters were not formed for cheddar, colby, and Edam cheeses because of their small elasticity.
A sufficient amount of free oil prevents moisture evaporation, and thus less intensive browning on Gruyere and provolone, and hardly at all with Emmental.
"Therefore, these cheeses can be combined with the easily blistering mozzarella to create a gourmet pizza with a less burnt appearance," said Bryony James, an associate professor at University of Auckland in New Zealand.
The study did not rely on human sensory assessment.
Instead, researchers developed a machine vision technique coupling careful imaging with quantified image analysis to help quantify a description that can be used by pizza manufacturers to make an appealing product for consumers.
The study appeared in the Journal of Food Science.
