Everything to Know About Buffalo Mozzarella

Delicious, captivating, and shining with integrity. Soft to the touch, delightful on the palate. Buffalo mozzarella, either round or weaved into a treccia (braid), has a gorgeous luster, a strong lactic and musky aroma, a soft but elastic consistency, and a range of aromas and flavors that reveal the buffaloes' summer or winter diet. 

In 1981, the Consortium for the Protection of Mozzarella di Bufala Campania was established. The DOP recognition dates back to 1996 and establishes strict parameters regarding the type of animals, their diet, dairy technique, and conservation. Mozzarella di Bufala Campania DOP is a fresh cheese obtained by processing of stretched curd, characterized by the immersion in hot water of the cheese mass which becomes malleable and separable, manually, into distinct portions. In accordance with the typology (round or braided) and the final weight, which the cheesemaker achieves by "cutting" the appropriate quantity with his or her hands.

The mozzatura, from which the name of the cheese derives,  or “cutting” explains the small protrusions and irregularities on its surface, otherwise characterized by a smooth, shiny exterior regardless of the size. 

The particular art of spinning in boiling water was born in response to the need to reduce the bacterial load brought on by the high temperatures of the southern regions like Campania. An identical purpose for its conservation in preserving whey, as saltiness fights against contamination with microorganisms.

One of the first "gastronomic" mentions of mozzarella is found on a mid-16th century papal menu from Bartolomeo Scappi, a famous chef who cooked for at least three popes. It can be eaten raw and is an excellent protein complement to the salad. The cheese creates a wonderful chromatic contrast with the red of the tomato when fully ripe in the Caprese salad and is excellent on top of crostini. 

When it comes to pizza, on the other hand, buffalo mozzarella is used as a garnish after the first cooking so that the heat of the oven doesn't eliminate the aromas that make buffalo mozzarella stand out from fiordilatte, which is produced with cow's milk.  (As told to Sara Tieni by Enrico Semprini, Onaf Master Taster (National Organization of Cheese Tasters)

Here are four signature variations.

1. Bocconcino (ball)

2. Affumicata (Smoked)

3. Treccia (Braid)

4. Ciliegine (Cherry-sized)