Mozzarella is made around the world and varies from lush, juicy pure white balls to yellow, rubbery blocks of cow’s milk only suitable for family pizzas. But none can match Mozzarella di Bufala, made with milk from the handsome water buffalo of Campania.
History of Mozzarella
The buffalo was introduced to Italy in the 7th century as a working beast to plough the marshes south of Naples, but as the Roman Empire disintegrated, the drainage systems and rivers silted up. The buffalo and the land were eventually abandoned as malaria became rife. It was not until the 12th century that records show cheese was made from its milk.
In the 18th century, the marshes were once again drained, malaria all but eradicated, the once wild buffalo now domesticated, and production of Mozzarella became widespread throughout Campania in southern Italy. The recipe was introduced from the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East where you can find other stretched curd or pasta filata cheeses in Israel and Cyprus.
Rich in calcium, high in protein, and with a high vitamin and mineral salt content, it is highly nutritious and easily digested, plus, at 21 percent fat (270kcal per 100gm), Mozzarella is surprisingly low in fat. Protected under Italian and European law, it is strictly monitored to ensure the quality and provenance of the product. In fact, authentic Mozzarella di Bufala can only be made in seven provinces in Central-South Italy: Caserta and Salerno, and part of Benevento, Naples, Frosinone, Latina, and Rome.
Tasting notes cheese Mozzarella
When cut, it has a grainy texture composed of many layers, like cooked chicken. Pearls of milky whey should seep out. It is very sweet and mild, like aged but not sour milk, with an earthy, mossy aroma and a taste reminiscent of new leather. Springy at first, it becomes softer, but never crinkled, slippery, or salty, and is bitter and sour only when overripe.
How to enjoy
Its role is to give texture rather than taste to a dish and to trap, absorb, and intensify the juices and ingredients between its luscious layers of curd, producing some of the most memorable culinary combinations. Perfect on pizza; salads of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sun-ripened tomatoes, and basil; Melanzane alla Parmigiana made with layers of eggplant and Mozzarella in a tomato sauce; or in a carrozza (carriage), sandwiched between two slices of bread, battered, and fried. When using fresh Mozzarella to top a pizza or fill a calzone, it is best to slice it and allow it to drain for several hours in a colander so that the crust doesn’t become soggy.
A closer look
The extraordinarily versatile and irresistibly stretchy texture of Mozzarella di Bufala make it loved the world over. However, with its short shelf life and premium price, it is not readily available outside of Europe, so cow’s milk alternatives are more widely available. If authentically made, their texture may be similar, but they lack the earthy, mossy, and new-leather notes of buffalo’s milk.
The curd cheese
The freshly-made curd is allowed to ferment for a few hours before being cut into blocks then put through a mill that sheds it into small pieces. The rubbery pieces are covered with boiling water. (Look at the Fig 1.)
The texture cheese
To achieve the desired texture, the rubbery curd and boiling water is stirred until the lumps turn into a smooth, plastic looking mass. (Look at the Fig 2.)
Stretching the cheese
In a process known as pasta filata, the curds are spun and stretched into balls, small balls (bocconcini), or plaits of varying sizes. This creates layers of curd with droplets of whey trapped within the concentric circles that resemble cooked chicken breast. (Look at the Fig 3.)
Brining cheese
The balls are put into cold brine to soak and absorb a small amount of salt which heightens the flavor and helps to preserve it. (Look at the Fig 4.)
| ITALY | Campania and Lazio |
| Age | From 1 day |
| Weight and Shape | Various |
| Size | Various |
| Milk | Water buffalo |
| Classification | Fresh |
| Producer | Various |