Fresh
Mozzarella di Bufala is one of Italy's best-kept
secrets. Read on and find out more about its succulent
success and how you can use it to make your mealtimes
magic.
Tops
on pizza Mozzarella is synonymous the world over with
pizza , and with that queen of pizzas - Pizza Mar gherita
- in particular. >Mozzarella is a fresh cheese with a fibrous
consistency. It is made from pasteurised milk which
is separated with rennet. The cheese curds are then
left to settle in boiling water before they are
drawn, seasoned and shaped. Nowadays you can buy
fresh mozzarella from most good food stores and
supermarkets.
The Mozzarella trail Our journey starts in Molise.
Production is concentrated in the area
around Venafro (in the province of Isernia). Top-quality
mozzarella is manufactured all year round.
We then head for the heartland of mozzarella production
- Basilicata. Mozzarella from this
area is particularly sweet-tasting and is available
in four variations: the traditional ball-shape,
a plait, a knot, and a maxi-plait - a metre of milky
goodness, sold by the slice.
Last, but not least, we go to Calabria,
home of the famous mozzarella silana (from the Sila
area) which is handmade to order during the summer
period.
Buffalo Fans of mozzarella di bufala
have to thank India for their favourite dish as
buffaloes came to Italy from eastern India hundreds
of years ago.
You can check that the mozzarella you are buying
is genuine mozzarella di bufala
by looking for the P. D.O .
mark. The P.D.O. mark (Protected Designation of
Origin) was instituted by the European Commission
as a guarantee of the genuine product.
Today mozzarella di bufala is, for
the most part, produced in Campania, Lazio
and Apulia.
The latter is worth a special mention for its excellent
burrata, a mozzarella made from cow's milk and cream.
So there's much more to mozzarella than pizza topping
- fresh mozzarella is best eaten on its own seasoned
with good olive oil and some salt or in the stunningly
simple"capriccio
caprese".
Southern Italian cuisine makes ample use of mozzarella.
Some of our favourite recipes include mozzarella
in carrozza – which is typical of Campania –
and that Neopolitan classic melanzane
alla parmigiana, where mozzarella is one of
the essential ingredients.
Too good to be ignored, Northern Italian cuisine
has adopted this ingredient and made it its own
in mozzarella alla milanese, where thick
succulent slices of fresh mozzarella are dipped
in egg and breadcrumbs then fried in butter: a trip
to cholesterol heaven!
The
genuine article If you're in Italy and want to buy the genuine
article look no further than the Consorzio per la tutela della
mozzarella di bufala campana, or if you can't
wait to sink your teeth into the milky-white cheese
go straight to the Caseificio Latticini Salernitani.
If you prefer to get your mozzarella delivered to
your doorstep then try http://www.quality-tools.com (24/48
hour delivery throughout Europe) or http://www.mozzarelladibufala.org/allestimento.htm
(next day delivery throughout Italy). Don't forget
to fill in the required forms and make sure that
the mozzarella will reach you 2/3 days after it
is made - any later and it's just not the same thing
…
Consorzio
Tutela (Eng) Official website of the Consorzio
per la Tutela della mozzarella di bufala campana Gambero
Rosso (Eng) The Gambero Rosso's excellent gourmet
food site will guide you through the pleasures of
Italian cuisine. Mozzarella and much, much more
…
THE SURVIVOR'S 
Tops
on pizza
Buffalo
The
genuine article 