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What the heck is ... buffalo mozzarella?
 Everybody
seems to like our bruschetta made with buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes and
olive oil. But, what? you say, is buffalo mozzarella? We all know what
mozzarella cheese is, its that white stretchy, stringy stuff they put
on pizza, and make into those little pieces of garden hose called “string
cheese”, all made with cow’s milk. When you think “real
mozzarella”, don’t think of those black & white spotted
Holstein cows with the 50 gallon udders (that’s where the industrialized
commercial stuff comes from). Think Buffalo! No, not that kind of buffalo!
Those are bison (Buffalous bigmeanus), and if you try to milk one of them,
you are likely to get killed. Bison definitely do not like having their
udders tugged on! Nope, we are talking about Water Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis)
[isn’t that a wonderful Latin name for an animal? – I like
the way it rolls off the tongue – boooo-bahhh-lusssss], those big grayish
black cow-like beasts withthe huge flat, swept-back horns, that pull
the plows in the rice paddies of Southeast Asia (and introduced into Italy
in the seventh century). Buffalo mozzarella cheese was invented in Italy
several centuries ago.  Buffalo mozzarella (mozzarella di bufala) [wave
one arm in the air when pronouncing the name] is a snowy-white, delicate
tasting, fresh cheese with a slightly fibrous consistency resulting from
the heating and stretching of the curds from which it is made. Made entirely
of whole buffalo milk, it is sold either in baseball-sized balls, or in
smaller balls called bocconcini. When cut, it oozes a few drops of white watery whey with the tantalizing
aroma of fresh milk. Please, do not waste expensive, authentic buffalo
mozzarella by using it on pizza. It is perfectly okay to use regular comes-from-cows,
industrial mozzarella for cooking and pizza – that is what it is
made for. True mozzarella di bufala [remember to wave your arm], on the
other hand, is made to be the centerpiece of a salad. We import ours from
the Campania region of Italy.
The water buffalo was introduced into Italy in the seventh century, but
references to cheese products made from its milk only started to appear
at the beginning of the twelfth century. Mozzarella became widespread
throughout the South of Italy during the second half of the eighteenth
century. Buffalo are especially abundant in the swampy parts of Campania,
the countryside beyond Naples (along the “shin bone” on the
boot of Italy), because they, as in Asia, like to keep their feet wet.
Water Buffalo milk contains less water, more total solids, more fat, slightly
more lactose, and more protein than cow's milk. It seems thicker than
cow's milk because it generally contains more than 16% total solids compared
with 12-14% for cow's milk. In addition, it's fat content is usually 50-60%
higher(or more) than cow's milk. Buffalo milk is not for drinking and
is used exclusively (in Italy & the USA) for making mozzarella cheese.
Indeed, it is so rich in fat and casein (protein) that it would be indigestible
served up cold in a glass with cookies. Buffalo Mozzarella from Campania
is now protected by a DOC.
To create the unique texture of mozzarella, the cheese is handled in a
very unusual way. It begins with very fresh milk, rennet and starter culture
and, once the curd has formed, most of the whey is drained off. Then,
the solid mass of curd is stirred with paddles and hot water is run through
it. The stirring and the heat transform the curds into thick, ropey strands,
which are cut off (mozzato – from the Italian mozzare, meaning to
cut – hence Mozzarella) from the main lump and then rolled, by hand,
into balls of cheese that preserve the uneven grain of the strand and
have some delicious whey still trapped within the ball. Some “caseficie”,
or cheese factories, offer scamorza, a smoked and aged version of buffalo
mozzarella. No matter what form it takes, mozzarella di bufala has a slightly
sour tang that is offset by a creamy, milky bite. The fresh mozzarella
balls are put into cold water to cool, and then soaked briefly in brine.
The cheese absorbs as much salt as is necessary and takes on its final
consistency. In the end, it must not be soft and mushy when cut, but fibrous
and elastic, so that if poked it springs back to its original shape. Mozzarella,
prepared in the evening is ready to eat the next morning, oozing with
freshness and rich flavor.
Mozzarella is sold in a variety of shapes from the small balls called bocconcini (little bites), plump
baseball sized spheres, and even braids that can weigh anywhere from one
ounce to twenty ounces. The following characteristics are good indications
of freshness: the consistency should be elastic, the surface tight, smooth,
and damp, neither too dry nor too wet. There should be no yellowish marks
or spots, and, when pressed with a finger, the texture should yield, and
then spring back. Once you slice into the mozzarella, it should have a
grainy surface and appear to be composed of many layers, like an onion,
especially near the surface. As time passes (only hours after production)
these layers begin to gradually disappear and the cheese loses some of
its elasticity. Pearls of milky whey should seep out when you cut into
mozzarella. When biting into fresh mozzarella, it should squeak against
your teeth. Upon tasting, you should notice the liquid separating from
the solid, almost as if the mozzarella had been soaked in milk. And, of
course, mozzarella should melt in your mouth.
To deal with the ever-increasing market demands, the production of mozzarella
has grown over the years and has been industrialized. True, hand-crafted
Italian buffalo mozzarella is protected by a producers association and
the Italian government. The Association monitors the production and marketing
of the Mozzarella di Bufala Camapana (now - wave both arms in the air
while pronouncing the full formal name, maybe even do the “stroke
your fingers under your chin” gesture.) in compliance with the production
rules for the DOC (Certified Origin Brand) and DOP (Certified Provenance
brand EEC). DOC recognition was given by Presidential Decree in 1993.
The Protection Association was founded in 1993 and now represents 95 producers.
While  traditional
Italian Mozzarella is made from Buffalo milk, and has a slight acidic
bite to its finish, the commercial cows milk version has this same creamy
texture but is sweeter and creamy all the way through. Today, two types
of mozzarella are produced in the USA: Low moisture mozzarella that has
a moisture content of less than 50% and high moisture mozzarella that
contains more than 52% moisture. The dry version, was developed in the
USA to fit our transportation and distribution systems, and it has been
available in grocery stores for years. This is the cheese that the huge
factories produce for the pizza industry. [Interestingly enough, the largest
mozzarella cheese factory in the world is located next door to Arizona,
in Roswell, New Mexico. That single factory consumes the daily output
of over 20,000 cows in the Pecos River Valley, and produces over 300 tons
of shredded, boxed – 50# per box, frozen, mozzarella cheese per
day! – all of it shipped to pizza parlors across the US] Fresh mozzarella
is different. It is soft and moist and more perishable.
Thanks to the popularity of Italian food, high-moisture, fresh mozzarella
is more readily available in the USA than ever. There are two types: industrially
produced fresh mozzarella that is available in many specialty stores and
supermarkets, and some handmade fresh mozzarella that is available from
small boutique cheese companies. Fresh mozzarella can be packaged dry
in vacuum-sealed plastic packages or in a covering liquid sometimes called
"latte". It is available salted or unsalted. It is most often
made from cow's milk. However, it can also be made from a combination
of cow's milk and goat's milk. A small amount of buffalo-milk mozzarella
is produced in the USA (one dairy in New Hampshire, and two dairies in
California), although very little water buffalo milk is commercially available.
Most buffalo milk mozzarella sold here is imported from Italy or Brazil.
There are two basic ways to make mozzarella: direct acidification of the
milk to form the curds or the traditional culture/rennet method. In both
methods, raw milk is pasteurized and then coagulated to form curds. Once
the curds are formed, they are mixed with hot water and "strung"
or "spun" until the cheese gets “ropey”. This "stringing
of the curd" is unique to cheeses such as mozzarella, scamorza and
provolone. When the proper smooth, elastic consistency is reached, the
curds are formed by machine or hand into balls which are then tossed into
cold water so that they maintain their shapes while they cool. They are
then salted and packaged. It is a very short production process, usually
less than 8 hours from raw milk to finished cheese. The critical moment
is determining exactly when the cheese curd is mature and ready to be
strung...waiting too long can result in a mushy cheese, while stringing too early can result in
a tough dry cheese.
What distinguishes a superior fresh buffalo mozzarella from the rest of
the pack? Taste above all. The cheese should taste fresh and reminiscent
of milk. It should be mild and delicate. Some say it is bland, yet there
is a distinct flavor. There should be a hint of sourness. If it tastes
too tart or sour the cheese is past its prime. The color should be white;
however, seasonally the cheese may be more yellow due to the cows' diet
of grasses. The fresher the cheese, the more elastic and springy the curd.
As the cheese ages it becomes more and more soft. The shelf life of fresh
mozzarella varies according to packaging. Vacuum sealing extends the shelf
life dramatically. And, Above all, please remember, buffalo mozzarella
has absolutely nothing to do with Annie Oakley, Buffalo Bill, or the Wild,
Wild West!
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