Mozzarella: The queen of the Mediterranean cuisine

Mozzarella di Bufala Campana Buffalo mozzarella (mozzarella di bufala) is a mozzarella made from the milk of the domestic Italian water buffalo and we think it’s divine.

Buffalo mozzarella from Campania bears the “Mozzarella di Bufala Campana” trademark. In 1993, it was granted Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) status and in 1996, the European Union granted Mozzarella di Bufala Campana Protected Geographical Status. Meaning, that it may only be produced with a traditional recipe in select locations in the regions of Campania, (especially in Salerno), Lazio, Apulia and Molise. There are around 200 producers, that, under Italian law, are responsible for the “protection, surveillance, promotion and marketing” of Mozzarella di Bufala Campana.

What does mozzarella mean?

The term mozzarella derives from the procedure called mozzatura which means ‘cutting by hand’, that is, the process of separation of the curd into small balls.

Buffalo mozzarella is a €300m ($430m) a year industry in Italy, which produces around 33,000 tonnes of it every year.

The process of making a pasta filata cheese includes heating the curd to a point where it can be stretched and formed into various shapes. This gives the snowy white mozzarella a mild yet slightly sour taste. The texture is soft, moist and somewhat granular. It is coated with a thin edible rind and brined for up to a week when sold in vacuum-sealed packages.

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