Bocconcini are Italian cheese balls. They taste similar to mozzarella cheese and are actually a fresh type of mozzarella. Bocconcini are about the size of cherry tomatoes. You can usually find them in delicatessens and some supermarkets in plastic tubs filled with liquid containing whey and/or water.

Bocconcini sold today are often made from cow's milk, but were traditionally made from water buffalo's milk in Naples, Italy. Some bocconcini available today have both water buffalo's milk and cow's milk in the tub. Since bocconcini is a fresh kind of cheese, they are much more perishable than blocks of mozzarella cheese. Bocconcini are best used within a few days of buying them.

Bocconcini means small mouthfuls in Italian and there is a bite-sized appeal to these balls of cheese. They are great served as appetizers with cherry tomatoes since both foods are about the same size and shape, yet their colors and flavors compliment each other. You can also stuff mushroom caps with bocconcini, broil them and garnish with a small sprig of parsley for easy appetizers. It's best to season the mushroom caps first, since bocconcini are mild in flavor.

Bocconcini are used in a variety of Italian dishes. Italians may eat them in a salad with sliced tomatoes, olive oil and basil. They could also be wrapped with a meat such as prosciutto, an Italian ham, and served in a spinach salad dish known as Bocconcini Sorentina. Bocconcini Florentina features the cheese balls in a hot dish with garlic, seasonings, meat and onions. Bocconcini can also be blended with other cheeses such as gruyere to make a filling for a vegetable tart.

Bocconcini are very versatile because not only can you serve them hot or cold as appetizers and make Italian dishes, you can use them in many different quick and simple meals. For example, they can be sliced and used on mini pizzas for a casual lunch or dinner. Just place some leftover tomato sauce onto English muffins or pitas, add slices of bocconcini and broil in an oven or toaster oven until the cheese just starts to brown.