Mozzarella di Bufala

“Ti fai dare mezzo chilogrammo di mozzarelle di Aversa, assicurati che siano buone, pigli queste dita, premi la mozzarella, se cola il latte le prendi, se no desisti.” - Totò and Enzo Turco in the movie Miseria e Nobiltà

This is exactly what you need to know when you are buying a good mozzarella di bufala - when you slice it, you are supposed to see what in Italian we call ‘’la goccia’’ (the drop), it has to be soft and creamy, full of liquid and texture. 

Mozzarella is the diminutive of the verb ‘’mozzare’’, which in the Neapolitan dialect means to cut off. Shaping or mozzare is the word used for any “pasta filata’’ cheese: the large mass of curd is cut up by hand to form the desired shape (spherical, braids, small knots etc.)

Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP is produced exclusively from fresh milk of Bufala Mediterranea Italiana, rennet (a natural milk coagulant), salt and milk enzymes. The cheese is soft with a delicate chew texture and a mild sour flavor. It is rich in proteins, calcium, mineral salts, iron and vitamins.

The earliest references to mozzarella can be found in the 12th century when Benedictine monks of the San Lorenzo monastery in Campania, prepared a cheese called ‘’mozza’’ from cow’s milk. During the 13th century, the farmers in Campania have started making the mozzarella cheese from buffalo milk , mainly for local consumption. 

In 1570, the term ‘mozzarella’ appeared for the first time, used in the book ''L’arte Et Prudenza D’Un Maestro Cuoco’'' by Bartolomeo Scappi, the famous chef of the papal court in the Renaissance. In the early 18th century this delicious cheese started spreading across the country where most dairy farmers used buffalo milk to give more flavor. The production of mozzarella di bufala increased in the 19th and 20th century and it became an important part of the agriculture in Campania. 

Nowadays, in order to be considered authentic Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP, the milk as well as its processing must come from any of these areas in Central-Southern Italy: Caserta, Salerno, Napoli, Frosinone, Roma, Latina and a few areas in Puglia. Only mozzarella that is made in these areas with the milk of Bufala Mediterranea Italiana, the only indigenous water buffalo breed in Italy, following the traditional recipe and techniques, can obtain the Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP trademark, the EU's Protected Designation of Origin system. 

This is important in order to guarantee the authenticity of the product and to promote this delicacy that is now synonymous with Campania cuisine. 

This soft and creamy cheese plays an important role in the Italian cuisine because of its versatility in the kitchen and for its special characteristics that make it perfect for Mediterranean dishes like pizza, gnocchi alla sorrentina, caprese salad and many others. 

You can order Mozzarella di Bufala DOP from Farinolio, slice it and serve it with some juicy tomatoes and fresh basil. Sprinkle some sea salt and oregano, drizzle some Olio Evoo from Tuscany and taste the simple taste of Italy!

By Laura Orlando