Mozzarella di Bufala Campana

Mozzarella di Bufala Campana (sometimes known as "Buffalo Mozzarella") is an Italian mozzarella cheese made from buffalo milk in the following areas of Italy: Caserta, Salerno and part of Benevento province, Naples, Frosinone, Latina and Rome. The Italian city of Aversa in the province of Caserta is recognized as the origin of this cheese. The most famous Mozzarella di Bufala family-makers in Italy are Serra and Citarella families. They are known as the founders of Buffalo Mozzarella tradition.

The cheese holds a "Protected Designation of Origin" [http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/qual/en/147_en.htm] from the European Union, and has been assigned the registry number 1107/96.

History

Asian water buffaloes were brought to Italy by Goths during the migrations of the early medieval period. [http://www.fornobravo.com/brick_oven_cooking/pizza_ingredients/mozzarella/mozzarella1.html]

"In ancient times, the buffalo was a familiar sight in the countryside, since it was widely used as a draught animal in plowing compact and watery terrains, both because of its strength and the size of its hooves, which do not sink too deeply into moist soils.

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 from the second half of the eighteenth century, before which it had been produced only in small quantities." [http://www.mozzarelladibufala.org/allestimento.htm]

Buffalo Mozzarella - Production Stages

#Milk storage (raw buffalo milk stored in big steel containers).
#Milk heating (thermic treatment to the liquid, then poured into a cream separator).
#Curdling (by induction of natural whey).
#Curd maturation (the curd lies in tubs in order to reduce the acidification processes and reach a pH value of about 4.95).
#Spinning (hot water is poured out on the curd in order to soften it, obtaining "pasta filata").
#Shaping (with special rotating shaper machines).
#Cooling (by immersion in cold water).
#Pickling (by immersion in pickling tubs containing the original whey).
#Packaging (in special films cut as bags or in small basins and plastic.

The official technical process definition: [http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=it&u=http://www.formaggio.it/italiaDOP/mozzarellabufalacampana.htm translated from the Italian] .

Nutrition

Contents for 100 gr: [http://www.mozzarelladibufala.org/allestimento.htm]
* proteins 19%
* fat 21%
* vitamin A mg 0,15
* vitamin B mg 0,003
* vitamin B1 mg 0,3
* calcium mg 510
* phosphorus mg 380
* sodium mg 0,4
* iron mg 0,7.
* calories Kcal 270

External links

* [http://www.formaggio.it/italiaDOP/mozzarellabufalacampana.htm Mozzarella di Bufala Campana (Italian)] - History and detailed technical process definition
* [http://www.mozzarelladibufala.org Mozzarella di Bufala Campana (trade association)]
* [http://fornobravo.com/brick_oven_cooking/pizza_ingredients/mozzarella/mozzarella1.html History and photos]