The Great Scamozza Debate

I'm just wondering about this term. The only place I've heard it is in the Bridgeport-Stratford, CT area. To the best of my knowledge, "Ska MOTES" means pizza (or should I say "ahbeets"?) with coarsely grated mozzarella cheese, as opposed to a plain or regular cheese pie which had finely grated parmesan only.

Any takers out there? I figure there's no better place for an answer than Roadfood! Thanks in advance for contributing.

Ace Holleran

I believe that scamorza (aka scamozza or scamotes) is, in fact, a type of cheese that is a firmer, drier kin to mozzarella.

Ace, I posted this on different thread, which contains links to the definition of Scamozza:

My own theory is that back in the 50's through 70's the better Pizza parlors used Scamorza cheese or Mozzarella using milk from Water Buffalos. These days Pizza parlors use cheese made from Cow's milk. From what I've been told there is a real difference in taste and texture.
I would be curious to know if any pizza parlors still use cheese from Water Buffalo milk.


http://en2.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_buffalo
http://en2.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozzarella_cheese

I guess pizza parlors will only use what ingredients that Sysco offers.

I thought it was a combination of mozzarella and scamorza, in hazleton pa it's spelled scamutz , and is served all over town,primarily as a topping for steak sandwiches and meatball hoagies

check this out---- www.italiancookingandliving.com/food/ingrediants/scamorza.html

had a feeling that it wasnt buffalo cheese mozzeralla-----and i was right---its a form of caciocavallo,the cheese my friends at Loveras make--maybe i should ask them if they can make some up! and it comes freash or smoked too

In the Bridgeport CT area, which still has a strong Italian influence (thank goodness), you can still order a pizza with Scamozza or "Skamotes" and still not get a blank stare from the counter person. It means you want mozzerella chesse on your pie.

Basically, scamorze is a slightly salty version of mozzarella. It's made from cows milk, although, like mozzarella, it used to be made from water buffalo milk. I know it used to be used on apizza in Bridgeport, and in at least one pizzeria in Milford back in the 1960s.

quote:

Originally posted by tiki

check this out---- www.italiancookingandliving.com/food/ingrediants/scamorza.html

Tiki: that link died, but this one works.

http://www.italiancookingandliving.com/food/glossary/s.html

Last week,Mario Batali (on Molto Mario) referred to scamorza, whioch he said is a more aged, more highly prized version of mozzarella. And yes, I am from Bridgeport, where Three Corners pizza (and you must try their delicious, thin-crust product) still lists cheese pies with grated parm or scamozza.

Ace

quote:

Originally posted by Ace Holleran

Last week,Mario Batali (on Molto Mario) referred to scamorza, whioch he said is a more aged, more highly prized version of mozzarella. And yes, I am from Bridgeport, where Three Corners pizza (and you must try their delicious, thin-crust product) still lists cheese pies with grated parm or scamozza.

Ace

I think I've mentioned this before, but my bride-to-be used to take me to the long-gone Jerry's, which is where I first heard of skuh-MOATS. Growing up in New Haven I lived on pies with just sauce and grated parmesan.

Oddly, while I was at Lombardi's, in Syracuse, purchasing ingredients for my muffelatta, I selected a scamorza cheese for the mozzarella portion of the sandwich. It was quite tasty. We are using the remainder on our garlic and olive pizza tonight....yum!

I was born in Bpt hospital in 1956 and used to live in Stratford and Bridgeport from 1959 to 1986. Almost all the Pizza places spelled it
Apizza. One Pizza restaurant/bar which I remember was called Pizza Village on Broadbridge Ave. Bpt, and they made their Pizza with Scammoza (scammotes). It was run by Ed and Helen Scanzillo. I was told by my Grandparents and other people who worked in Italian Deli's that Scammozza is nothing more than smoked Mozzerella cheese. Hence the white vs yellow coloring. I can remember my Grandmother in the early 70s stilling speaking in Italian to the people in these establishments when ordering meats, cheeses and other items for her kitchen. By the way my parents used to eat Apizza when they were young at Salernos on Barnum Ave in Stratford, and I still do whenever I get a chance to go their. Nans Valley Farms on the Stfd Bpt border on Barnum ave madea pretty good pie also. It was also called by some Italians "Tomato Pie" Does anybody remember Madora's Apizza on Huntington Rd. and Reeds La.in Stratford? A good Greek Style Pizza is from Paradise Pizza on Main St. in the Paradise Green section of Statford. They make killer "Grinders", also seemed to be a local term for Italian style sandwiches in the Bpt, Stfd, Mlfd areas of Ct. Nobody in Florida which is now where I live (Palm Bay) to be exact new what I was talking about when I tried to order one, they call them "Hoagies". Email me at matthew-phala@juno.com

.....veering slightly(hey, it's a roadfood topic); in KC, hot Italian sandwiches, (meatball,pastrami etc) WERE grinders, but regular cold cut sandwiches were hoagies .Gyros was a term strictly for greek sandwiches. Most Italians were from Sicily in KC, but I never lived in another town with lots of Italians so I can't compare regional differences in cuisine

Your right, but we called cold Italian sandwiches, "Submarines", the older folks called them dagwoods, after the character in the Sunday paper "funnies". Heck in Philadelphia they were called "Heroes" but at least if I ever make it out to KC I now know I won't be embarrased when ordering a meatball or eggplant "grinder".

Thanks for the info about "scamozza"! I've lived in Chicago for 15 years, but every six months when I return to Fairfield, CT to visit my mother, I pick up a scamozza pizza at Pizza Time on Madison Ave. in Bridgeport, CT. It's impossible to get pizza that good in Chicago.

Also, regarding Three Corner's Pizza, also in Bridgeport, I think it's run (or was run) by the Testa family. My dad asked my mother to marry him on a date there in the 1950's.

>My dad asked my mother to marry him on a date there in the 1950's.<

Now that's neat. My own proposal came in a place in New Haven called Jocko Sullivan's, Which I understand has recently reopened as Sullivans.

quote:

Originally posted by Ace Holleran

I'm just wondering about this term. The only place I've heard it is in the Bridgeport-Stratford, CT area. To the best of my knowledge, "Ska MOTES" means pizza (or should I say "ahbeets"?) with coarsely grated mozzarella cheese, as opposed to a plain or regular cheese pie which had finely grated parmesan only.

Any takers out there? I figure there's no better place for an answer than Roadfood! Thanks in advance for contributing.

Ace Holleran

This is true the only people in the that I talk to that say scammozza's are Bpt people, I was born and raised in Bpt. as a young man my Dad would call Mario the Baker, Rocco's and Jerry's appizza and ask for a couple of large scammozza's to go. When I hear people call appizza scomazza's they are from Bpt. I now live in Tampa where these people down here call Pizza Hut their favorite, I Cringe I am thinking of a large scamozza's with sausage salerno's right this minute, I would have never moved if it was for the food, these folks down here have no clue.

Legend has it Joey scammozza's peddled cheese back in the 40's and 50's, This is what I am told!

I was born in Bridgeport and lived there through my early childhood. My dad was a "pie man" at Pizza village in the 1960's. I remember him taking me there, putting a large pizza on the table and saying "that's a "skamotes". I had never heard the word before, but it left an impression on me. The pizzas my dad made for our family were scamozzas. I remember they had lots of tasty cheese. I tend to judge all pizzas by my memory of those pies.

Now you are making me hungry. Nothing like a large scamozzas from Jerrys, DeNitos, C&C, Pizza Village and a couple of others I can't remember. They might also have been ordered as an "Abeets or a Tomato Pie". As I recall the neon sign in Jerrys window said "Tomato Pies"

yanque


Now you are making me hungry. Nothing like a large scamozzas from Jerrys, DeNitos, C&C, Pizza Village and a couple of others I can't remember. They might also have been ordered as an "Abeets or a Tomato Pie". As I recall the neon sign in Jerrys window said "Tomato Pies"

I believe you're correct about the Jerry's sign.

Phala 4 years your junior grew up stratford bpt hospital 1960 move west 1999. Your reminising making me want to just eat the roadfood screen lol. Salerno's the place still evertrip back it a small works hold the fish we all worked hung with the workers. Millers next door for hotdogs shoprite right down the road. just not the same in Beijing Chinalol.

Valley farms give me 10 hot bbq roast beef to go. Few times i was in hospital all friends new to bring them. Last trip back the cricket was missing where did it go ? Best footlongers in USA.

Sorry friends way too hungry and so many memories. Others not mentioned my favorite sitdown place Rose's and a flanh in the pan small chain that made piza i devowered couse was $5.95 and always had coupons. The place called Peter Pan Pizza was in the strip next to Bradlees. Does Stratford still do best pizza outside New Haven.

As long as the topic is Bridgeport, is anyone here old enough to remember the great Frisbie  pies from Bridgeport's Frisbie Pie Company? Pineapple and lemon were my favorites -- the little nickel ones, not the full-size, 25-cent pies, whose tins were the basis for what's known today as a Frisbee.

Being an old Eastside Bridgeport kid, I remember Jerrys Pizza...Hey Jerry large Ahbeets with extra Scamorza. Scamorza is a smoked Mozzarella Cheese.............I remember Frisby Pie company.....We used to toss the alum pie tins like Frisbys ( Go Figure) Used to get a bar pie at Rocco's Pizza on Artic St. Used to bring the girls to Seaside park and show them (General) Howe standing up................Bill

BillyB


Being an old Eastside Bridgeport kid, I remember Jerrys Pizza...Hey Jerry large Ahbeets with extra Scamorza. Scamorza is a smoked Mozzarella Cheese.............I remember Frisby Pie company.....We used to toss the alum pie tins like Frisbys ( Go Figure) Used to get a bar pie at Rocco's Pizza on Artic St. Used to bring the girls to Seaside park and show them (General) Howe standing up................Bill

While scamorza sometimes is smoked, that's not usually the case, and it was never smoked when used at Jerry's.
 
From THE FOOD LOVER'S COMPANION, 2nd edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst:
 
scamorze cheese; scamorza; scamorzo
[ska-MOHRT-zuh, ska-MOHRT-zoh]
Though today this Italian cheese is usually made from whole cow's milk (sometimes mixed with sheep's or goat's milk), scamorze was originally made only from buffalo milk. It's a PASTA FILATA type of cheese that is basically a very firm, slightly salty MOZZARELLA. Scamorze, which contains about 44 percent milk fat, has a creamy white color and a mild, nutty flavor. It's sold in small ovals or gourd shapes and can sometimes be found smoked. Scamorze can be used in much the same way as mozzarella generally as a table cheese or in cooking.
 
As to the Frisbie pie tins being tossed like Frisbees, you should be aware that those pie tins were the inspiration for the plastic Frisbee, which was developed by a Yalie who tossed the pie tins around the Wright Hall quad.

Scamorza - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia   Michael read the last sentence..........I figure most of us in Bridgeport used the word "Scamorze" as Mozzarella cheese...I know at Roccos they sliced the cheese on meat slicers and layered it so it covered the whole ABEETS...............................I figure the Italians brought this word with them and found our Mozzarella cheese in the USA but still called it Scamorza.....Take care...Bill

BillyB


Scamorza - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia   Michael read the last sentence..........I figure most of us in Bridgeport used the word "Scamorze" as Mozzarella cheese...I know at Roccos they sliced the cheese on meat slicers and layered it so it covered the whole ABEETS...............................I figure the Italians brought this word with them and found our Mozzarella cheese in the USA but still called it Scamorza.....Take care...Bill

Oh, that's neat about Bridgeport.

I guess I"ll date myself too, was there for the Frisbee Pie Co. For all you ex Bridgeporters take a look at  www.east-enders.itgo.com  A lot of Bridgeport memories.