Once in awhile a product will saturate the market with all the force of an harmonic convergence.

Remember when branzino was new and everywhere? (Well, not exactly new…just renamed, from Mediterranean sea bass, and suddenly, rabidly popular). Black truffles, Wagyu beef, Marcona almonds, Kurobuta pork…ditto. Fregola, Sardinian beads of semolina pasta, debuted like this more recently.

Not to mention all the Seattle-specific provenance. Full Circle Farms lettuces. Billy Allstot’s tomatoes. Trendy, yeah. Meaningful too.

Well this summer the It item on Seattle menus is burrata, the sweet lovechild of mozzarella and cream. This week alone I’ve savored its buttery lusciousness at Serious Pie, on a plate with thin-sliced Pence peaches and a scattering of pine nuts; and Lark, where it appears in a starter with olive oil croutons, shiso salt, and, yes, Billy’s tomatoes.