Buffalo Mozzarella

[Ronzo]

Anyone ever actually had this stuff on pizza, or by itself?


I noticed a local grocery chain began to carry it at one of their newer big 'semi-gormet' stores and I was curious about it.



I'm not sure I am willing to pay $11.50 for 8 oz of it... unless it's drop dead delicious.

[David]

I would suggest you don't try it.I'm surprised Bush has not banned it?It's addictive,habit forming and very expensive.

[bicster]

When I have my pizza parties it is a good conversation piece as most people have only had moo cow mozz.  The taste is hit or miss though.

[sumeri]

I think the taste is hit or miss only because of how old the cheese is.  I have had imported buffalo mozz. here in the states that is mush and tastes like floor cleaner but I have never...and mean never met anyone that has tried fresh buffalo mozzarella in Campania that has not thought it was the greatest thing God put on this earth....maybe I'm overstating a little, but not much.

[bicster]

Hey man I agree with you, I would eat it 24/7 if I could.  But if you are someone that does not really like cheese (i.e. my wife) then buff mozz is not the ambrosia that we think it is.

[robtfink]

I too have noticed the recent introduction of imported bufala in a local supermarket, but I have hesitated to try put off not only by outrageous price, but mozzarella simply does not age well, and there is no way to ascertain how old it is. Were the purveyor a specialist cheese shop with good turnover of product regularly airfreighted, I wouldn't rue the premium for the occasional treat. There are a few US producers, Bubalus Bubalis in California comes to mind - www.realmozzarella.com. Still, whatever possibly could be comparable to impeccably fresh mozzarella collected from an artisanal producer in the Campania, San Marzanos just plucked from the vine to craft the essential pizza.

[sumeri]

Bubalis is actually very good.  The best mozzarella I have ever had outside of Italy.  I would seriously compare it to a good fior-di-latte or cows milk mozzarella from Campania.

[scott r]

I too have noticed the recent introduction of imported bufala in a local supermarket, but I have hesitated to try put off not only by outrageous price, but mozzarella simply does not age well, and there is no way to ascertain how old it is. Were the purveyor a specialist cheese shop with good turnover of product regularly airfreighted, I wouldn't rue the premium for the occasional treat. There are a few US producers, Bubalus Bubalis in California comes to mind - www.realmozzarella.com. Still, whatever possibly could be comparable to impeccably fresh mozzarella collected from an artisanal producer in the Campania, San Marzanos just plucked from the vine to craft the essential pizza.

I have found that you can actually get a pretty good idea of how old buffalo mozzarella is before you open the package.  If it is one of the brands packaged in the plastic pouch you even have two ways to determine the freshness without opening.  One way to get an idea is to look at how clear the water is.  If it is really fresh you will not see any little floaty bits of white cheese, and it will be crystal clear.  If you start to see bits of cheese shredding off of the main ball it has been around for a while.  If the liquid is just a little cloudy, but there are no shreds or bits of cheese coming off of the ball the cheese is still good.  The other way you can tell is by feel.  A fresh cheese will have a good amount of springback when you smoosh it a little.  It will fell somewhat firm, almost meaty,  and return to form after a soft pinch.  If it is too old it will just stay compressed and you will see it start to break apart and disintegrate. 

I have found that this stuff can actually keep a lot longer than I was originally led to believe.  I have picked up really fresh bags and used them up to two weeks later with great success.

Is there anybody out there that knows which way of storage is better.

A, to just leave the fresh cheese in water until a few hours before use even if it is for a week or more, or
B, to drain it right away after purchase, slice it, salt it, then store?

Marco ?

I know that salt is a preservative, and I usually pre salt my cheese anyhow before putting on the pies.  This method of salting before storing has seemed to make the cheese last for a long time with no noticeable change in flavor or texture.

I have even heard someone recommend changing the water to keep the cheese fresh for longer, but I have not tried this.

[mmarston]

It's a little known fact that mozzerella can be frozen with good results. Fresh Mozz may loose some of its texture but if you're putting it on a pizza this is not a issue.

[pietradoro]

... Is there anybody out there that knows which way of storage is better.

A, to just leave the fresh cheese in water until a few hours before use even if it is for a week or more, or
B, to drain it right away after purchase, slice it, salt it, then store?...

FWIW, I had a conversation with the owners of an Italian restaurant cheese supplier in Los Angeles, who sells Bubalus Bubalis, and from whom I've been buying for a few months over the counter.  Regarding storage, he claims (according to the manufacturer) that if left unopened a sealed package of mozzarella di bufala will last about 2-3 weeks in a refrigerator whose temperature is between 30F and 40F degrees, closer to 30F being ideal.  If opened and only partially used, then one should reseal the cheese, squeezing out the air, and leaving the liquid that the ball came in, not replacing it with fresh water (the addition of fresh water will decrease the storage life), nor draining it.  He claimed that the water is not really water, but a milky fluid, (not clear to me if he meant that this is milk and water mixed) that contains buffalo milk enzymes and should not be discarded.  This resealed package should last 7 days from the date it was opened.  He also said that you might get 10-12 days if the temperatures are cold enough.  I gather that since he sells the full line of Bubalus Bubalis that he knows this product fairly well.

Also, I bought a container of Bubalus Bubalis ricotta di bufala, in part because he raved about this cheese as being absolutely sublime.  Storage, opened or not, is about one month -- much less fragile that their mozzarella.

[scott r]

cool, thanks for the great info!

[chlbrw]

Hi everybody!
Does anybody know where can i find the "mandara" buffalo mozzarella
here in Central Coast of California?
Or anybody suggests me a similar one to buy in this area?
Thank you if you can help me.
Carla

[Pete-zza]

Carla,

You might check Trader Joe's. There is also a domestic producer of buffalo mozzarella cheese, Bubalus Bubalis, whose product should be available locally (maybe at a Whole Foods) or via this website: http://www.farmersmarketonline.com/mozzarelladibufala.htm.

Peter

[David]

I know Whole Foods in on the East Coast sells the Lioni brand .They import Mandara and package it here I believe.

[chlbrw]

Thank you very much guys, i appreciate your help.
I'm looking forward ordering some of it.
I've found also the "mandara" label one in a supermarket
in Solvang and it costs about $9 per piece (250 gr.).
But it's really good, so it's worth the price!!
Ciao Carla

[pietradoro]

I ran a simple storage/ freshness test with Bubalus Bubalis. 

Sample A:  after opening and using half the ball I placed the unused half in a hard plastic container and covered the ball with clean, filtered water, sealed it, and then refrigerated it.  On the sixth day the ball had taken on spoiled odors, and small milk solids debris were floating in the water.  I had to discard it.

Sample B:  after opening and using half the ball I placed the unused half in a a clean plastic bag and poured all the original, "native" milk fluid into the bag, removed all the air and sealed the bag with a tie.  After 15 days (this morning), the remaining ball still has a nice, bufala "cheerful oder." There is only minuscule, and negligible milk solids in the milk fluid.  I tasted a piece of this half and it was perhaps slightly less intense than it was 2 weeks ago, but it's going on my and my kid's Saturday Margherita this afternoon. 

Interesting and very encouraging results.  The advice I got  (and posted above) appears to be very accurate.  That said I wouldn't want to push this any longer.

[sumeri]

It is strange that Bubalis claim to not use any preservatives and last that long, while a good fresh ball of Mozzarella from Campania starts to soften after a day.
While I really liked Bubalis it did not taste like the buffalo mozzarella I have had in Campania.

[pietradoro]

I agree with that, but Bubalus has a deeper and distinctive flavor than any cow mozz I've tried, and lasts longer, too.

[pizzanapoletana]

Guys,

About the taste and characteristic of Mozzarella di Bufala Dop:

The microflora composition of the starter that ferment the mozzarella, is as important as the one that makes wonderful bread and pizza. In fact, the team that studied the dough microflora of some Neapolitan pizzeria, had long before studied the Mozzarella starter.

Ciao