mozzarella di bufala
Mozzare means to tear by hand, a crucial step in the process of making mozzarella, one of Italy’s most popular (and most badly imitated) cheeses. Its name also may come from scamozzata, a southern Italian term meaning “without a shirt,” an apt description of a soft cheese without a dry or hard covering.
True mozzarella di bufala campana comes only from black water buffalos that graze in Campania and certain provinces in Lazio and Apulia. Its history dates back to the 12th century, when the monks of San Lorenzo in Capua in southern Italy offered pilgrims a simple cheese, which they called mozza or provatura, made from the milk of their herd of water buffalo.
The process of producing this fresh cheese hasn’t changed much since. The first step is curdling the milk with rennet, then pouring nearly boiling water over the curds. After draining the product and discarding the whey, cheese-makers knead the mixture by hand, like bakers kneading bread, until it becomes so elastic that threads can be pulled without ripping—a characteristic of all pasta-filata (stretched curd) cheeses. In a process called mozzatura the cheese is divided into equal portions, which are shaped by hand into large or small balls or braids.
Fresh mozzarella is very perishable, so it’s best to eat mozzarella di giornata (made that day)—which is difficult to find outside of Italy. The best alternative is mozzarella sealed in a solution of whey brine. But don’t assume “mozzarella” you find at supermarkets is the real thing.
Most of the “mozzarella” sold in the United States comes from cow’s milk and should be called fior di latte or fiordilatte (milk flower). In Italy you’ll find caciocavallo, another soft cow’s milk cheese, which can be eaten fresh or kept for up to a year. Provola is made from the mozzarella mixture but then smoked and left to mature for a while. Burrata (buttered) pugliese is a mix of mozzarella di bufala and panna (cream) so rich and milky that an Italian friend describes it as “pure sin.”
The most important letters to look for when buying mozzarella are D.O.P., for Denominazione di Origine Protetta (Protected Designation of Origin), a geographical indication. Under European Union Law this certification ensures that only products genuinely originating in a given region and following traditional production techniques use a specific name. The D.O.P. protects you from bland watery mozzarella--and supports Italy’s small artisan cheese producers.
Sayings and Expressions
bocconcini di mozzarella -- literally small mouthfuls or bite-size mozzarella balls
uova di bufala -- slightly larger “buffalo eggs”
mozzarella in carrozza -- mozzarella in a carriage, the best melted cheese sandwich you’ll ever have. Even if you can’t speak Italian, you can follow the steps in the video recipe below to make some:
If you live in the San Francisco area, come enjoy some tasty Italian words, wine and cheese at two readings of LA BELLA LINGUA at my favorite Italian food store, A.G. Ferrari’s:
Thursday, July 23, 6:00 p.m.
A.G. Ferrari Foods
3490 California Street
San Francisco, CA
415-923-4470
Thursday, July 30, 6:00 p.m.
A.G. Ferrari Foods
468 Castro Street
San Francisco, CA
http://www.agferrari.com/
415-255-6590
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