It’s time to throw caution — and diet — to the wind.
The giant mozzarella sticks at The Big E in West Springfield went viral on TikTok in 2023, creating long lines at Angela’s Pizza on Commonwealth Avenue where they also serve the pickle pizza.
While it wasn’t new to the fair, the giant mozzarella sticks found their way into many people’s TikTok videos, which often showcased a cheesy pull from the giant mozzarella stick.
“It’s all the deliciousness of a normal mozzarella stick, but with the cheesiness turned up to a crazy new magnitude,” MassLive’s Nick O’Malley wrote in 2022, calling it one of the 10 best foods to try during your first time at The Big E.
But this year, another option became available for the giant cheesy treat.
The new option is at Hot Wisconsin Cheese on Springfield Road and is called “Monstah Mozz.” It’s described as a single piece of hand-cut mozzarella cheese, deep-fried on a stick.
“Crispy crunch on the outside and ooey gooey in the middle,” a press release states.
But which is the better option? We put them to the test.
MassLive photographer Sebastian Restrepo finished the entire giant mozzarella stick from Angela’s Pizza.Sebastian Restrepo
Angela’s Pizza
Cost: $11
MassLive photographer Sebastian Restrepo finished the entire thing, calling the cheese “melted and gooey all the way through.”
He enjoyed the crunchy crust but wished it had more seasoning to it. He also wanted more room to be able to dip the mozzarella stick in the sauce.
He rated it a 6.75 out of 10.
The “Monstah Mozz” at Hot Wisconsin CheeseSebastian Restrepo
Hot Wisconsin Cheese
Cost: $14
The “Monstah Mozz” is a “beautiful example of what happens when culinary creativity meets a deep fryer in a food truck,” Restrepo said.
He describes the cheese as having a “childlike familiarity of stretchy cheese on a pizza.” It also had a bit of salt that added to the flavoring. The crust had notes of cornbread too.
He enjoyed being able to pick up the cup of sauce to “pour it liberally atop the cheese-wrapped dowel,” which was homemade.
“The claimed homemade sauce was every bit the complimentary tangy to the sweet notes embedded in the crunchy crust,” Restrepo said.
He rated it an 8.25 out of 10.
