Italy’s Mozzarella di Bufala Cheese

Let me start my telling you a funny mozzarella story.   On one of our many trips back to Italy before we lived here, we were in Positano and my husband bought some bocconcini which are mozzarella that can be eaten in a mouthful.  When he brought them back to the house, his family commented that they were too hard but when I tried it I said they were fine and thought there were making too much fuss.  No one ate them but me!!  Honestly, back then I really didn’t think that mozzarella was meant to be soft – and yes, it’s a story often told at my expense.

Until you’ve tasted freshly made mozzarella in Italy you have no idea what you’ve been missing.  The mozzarella cheese in Italy is nothing like the bags of white shredded cheese you’ll find in American supermarkets or piled atop the classic American version of the pizza. Mozzarella cheese in Italy is a soft, rich cheese that is hand-formed into traditional round or braided shapes.

First time visitors to Italy might be perplexed by the different names for mozzarella cheese that you’ll encounter at markets and food shops. While the process is similar, when produced from cow’s milk the cheese is referred to as fior di latte and when made with water buffalo milk it’s called mozzarella di bufala. While both are very popular, mozzarella di bufula is the most highly prized and appreciated by Italians.

The production of mozzarella di bufala is strictly limited to only seven provinces in Italy: the Naples,  Salerno,  Caserta and Benevento provinces in the region of Campania and the Roma, Latina and Frosinone provinces of Lazio. When mozzarella di bufala is made in these provinces following rigorous guidelines and traditional methods, it will display the label “Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP.” This is when you know you’ve found the true mozzarella di bufala.

However, the best way to find the freshest mozzarella is by visiting a diary farm, or caseificio, where you can often watch part of the process of making mozzarella and sample the freshly made cheeses. Mozzarella cheese is made with raw water buffalo milk that is first heated and coagulated with calves’ rennet. The curd is then separated, drained and cut into small pieces before being added to hot water and mixed until the texture is right for hand forming the cheese. When it is ready, one casaro (cheese maker) kneads the cheese to form a shiny and smooth mass while another pulls off a smaller ball of cheese and drops it in a cold water bath to cool. This process of pulling the cheese is how mozzarella got its name from the verb mozzare, which means “to cut off.”

Here’s a video to give you an idea of how mozzarella is made.  It’s not bufala but fior di latte. Nonetheless, I hope it gives you the idea. It’s a long video but the mozzarella part ends half way through the video as they also show how ricotta is made.

Unless you’re planning on cooking with it, always keep mozzarella at room temperature in the liquid that it is stored in when you purchase it. The delicate flavors and the texture of mozzarella di bufala are best when eaten within three days of production. When you have a good, fresh mozzarella, the best way to enjoy it is to simply slice it and serve with prosciutto or salami. Another classic is the Caprese salad, named after the island of Capri in Campania, made with mozzarella, ripe red tomatoes, basil, a splash of olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper. Mozzarella is also used for topping pizza, although more sparingly than in America, and for flavoring many types of pasta dishes.

Caprese salad

If your travels bring you to Rome or other spots in the Lazio and Campania regions, be sure to try some fresh mozzarella di bufala for one of the simple delights of Italian cuisine.

Also, if you are interested, I have recently received a brochure where you could see them make mozzarella di bufala.  I haven’t been there myself so I can’t tell you if it’s worth going.  They are based in Latina and since they don’t have a website, their details are as follow:

Tenuta Dell’ Angelo
Societa Agricola Circe s.s.
Via Lungo Ufente, 2
Loc. La Cotarda, 04014
Pontinia (LT), Italy
Tel: 0773 853140
Fax: 0773 854127
Email: agricolacirce@libero.it