Few dishes evoke the freshness of summer in Italy like the Caprese Salad, named for the Island of Capri (pronounced CA'-pree, not Ca-PREE!), off the coast of Naples. Slice up some fresh tomatoes, add some buffalo mozzarella, a drizzle of olive oil, then top with fresh basil and you've got the taste of summer.

But... what IS Buffalo Mozzarella??

Where does it come from?  Surely it's not from a real buffalo!  --> Oh yes it is!

                                                                            
(so far nobody has milked one of these...)                                                                                                                                          

Nobody is sure exactly when the Asian Water Buffalo was brought to Italy, but there is historical mention of them as far back as 800 AD.  Was it the Goths, who migrated west into the ashes of the Roman Empire? Or was it the Saracens (= Arabs) who brought them over from Asia? Could it have been the Crusaders, who brought them back from their travels East?  Or did the Normans bring them up from Sicily? (in which case, who brought them to Sicily???) No matter, these are among the most pampered animals in Italy. They live in the swamps of Campania (near Naples) and spend most of their day lounging around in mud pools to keep cool and protected from the sun. They are mostly free-range, and even have daily massages! See this lovely short video for a glimpse into their lives.

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The milk is then processed like cow's milk mozzarella, but gives a sweeter, creamier cheese. It even has twice the protein of cow's milk cheese and is easier to digest!  It can be made into various shapes, from the standard ball to "cigliegina" ('cherry tomato') to a festive braid. It is such a prized commodity in Italy that it has been granted "D.O.P." status (Denominazione d'Origine Protetta), which means that every step of the production is controlled. The buffalo are pure-bred and have to have papers going back several generations to avoid in-breeding, and everything must be done (by hand!) according to traditional methods.  See this informative site for more information, and look for this label to make sure you have the real thing:         

It is best when eaten the very day it is made, when it has a chewy and very creamy texture, but it will last up to 5 days. 

Super-fresh! This cheese is only hours' old.

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What does this mean for you at home?  It means it's unlikely you'll get good, fresh and AUTHENTIC "mozzarella di bufala" in your home supermarket. It is now made all over the world, however, and you can also find buffalo milk cheese in other parts of Italy (mainly in Puglia, where it is sometimes used for the super-creamy 'burrata'): 

Burrata: super-creamy cheese stuffed with more cream! Yum!

The only sure way to enjoy it fresh is to come to southern Italy and try it!

-- Join us on our Amalfi Coast Walking Tour:

Beautiful Positano, Amalfi Coast

Take a side-trip to Capri!               

-- Or try some of that delicious 'burrata' on one of our Puglia & Basilicata tours:

* Puglia & Basilicata Walk
* Puglia & Basilicata Bike
* Puglia & Basilicata Scooter trip

-- Or try an island adventure with us on our Sicily Island Walk!