Stracciatella

Stracciatella, derived from the Italian word 'stracciare' meaning 'to shred,' is a technique and a culinary preparation. Most commonly, it refers to an Italian egg-drop soup featuring broth with finely shredded pieces of egg. However, it also significantly describes a gelato flavor, characterized by its vanilla base swirled with fine, irregular shavings of hard chocolate. The textural contrast between the creamy base and the brittle chocolate is a defining characteristic. Less commonly, the term is applied to a cheese (Stracciatella di bufala), which has a creamy, stringy texture, often used as a pizza topping. The application of the term emphasizes a shredded, torn, or fragmented component.

Stracciatella meaning with examples

• My Nonna's stracciatella soup was legendary; the delicate egg ribbons danced in the flavorful broth, a perfect comfort food. The secret was a slow, gentle stirring of the egg into simmering stock.
• We finished our meal with a scoop of stracciatella gelato. The crisp chocolate shards offered a satisfying crunch against the smooth, vanilla ice cream base, a delightful experience for the palate.
• The chef drizzled the salad with olive oil and topped it with a generous mound of fresh stracciatella cheese, its milky strands providing a burst of fresh, delicate flavor with every bite.
• The restaurant offers an interesting variation of stracciatella soup, adding asparagus tips and a hint of lemon zest. This added fresh components really amplified the traditional flavors.