is buffalo mozzarella supposed to be sour?

[scott r]

I picked up some buffalo mozzarella today from Salumeria Italiana.  I was told that the cheese had come into the store yesterday.  The cheese was quite tasty, but it had a fairly pronounced sour flavor.  I am wondering if a really fresh Buffalo mozzarella is supposed to have any sour flavor.  I have read that the sourness will increase with age, so I am trying to figure out how fresh this cheese really was.

[ebpizza]

Sessa's in Davis Sq. get his imported weekly.

I've tried both. Sessa's is less expensive and tastes better.

[scott r]

thank you so much, I did not even know this place existed.   

[Pete-zza]

scott,

I once asked the chief pizza maker at Naples 45 in NYC whether he used buffalo mozzarella cheese and he replied that he did but that he preferred a local fresh mozzarella cheese because sometimes the buffalo mozzarella cheese would be too sour for his taste. I have read that it is best to drain the cheese if it is to be used on pizza because the cheese degrades in the water. If you get good buffalo mozzarella cheese you should be in better shape than most because of the very high oven temperatures you are using. That is when the buffalo mozzarella cheese is at its best. It doesn't fare as well in standard home ovens.

Peter

[piroshok]

I know that this type of cheese is best when very fresh as the days go by it just deteriorates best to consume 24 to 48 after it has been made.
Peter is righ best to use a good muzza cheese instead
 

[jimd]

I made some pizza this weekend using some Mozzarella de Bufala(sp?) which I purchased at a local italian market. I had a guest that night from the neighborhood whose son was a chef. The fellow is Italian, and enjoys all Italian food. However, he told me that his son learned at chef school that the water buffalo that are used to make this cheese are horribly mistreated, and spend their lives in a concrete cell that allows no more than one inch on all sides. Apparently, this is done so that the water buffalo can be fed a rich diet and not be allowed it to move. As a result, it produces creamier cheese with more "fat:.
 

I do not know if this is true or how common it is. It does sound terrible, however, and I have decided to forego using this cheese again (even tho I love it) until I do a little more research on this. I hope it is ok to share this info, and I do not do it to preach or offend. Some may find it interesting and of significance. For the record, I still eat veil on occassion, even though I believe similar principals are at play.

Jim

[pizzanapoletana]

That is untrue.

Waterbufalo are reared on a free grassland north of Naples, in the Caserta's province. You can see them graze frealy on the open air.

Ciao

[scott r]

I am glad to hear these rumors are untrue, as I am starting to get addicted to this stuff.  I have noticed that on a pizza the slightly sour taste dissipears when the cheese melts.  Maybe it is just getting covered up by the other flavors.  This is some really amazing cheese.   
Has anyone had a chance to compare the American made buffalo mozzarella with the imported type?

[jimd]

I am also really glad to hear that it is untrue. I feel badly having posted what I heard without checking it out first. Anyway, thanks for the correction.

[Pete-zza]

scott,

I have tried a domestic buffalo mozzarella cheese from Bubulus Bubalis, Co., a producer in California, and also from Star Hill Dairy, a farmstead dairy in Vermont. To the best of my knowledge, they are the only domestic producers, although from time to time I hear stories of others considering getting into the business. I found the Bubalus Bubalis product at a high-end store in Dallas and the Star Hill Dairy product at a Whole Foods store in the Boston area. Both sold at a price slightly less than the imported variety. They were both good but not quite as good as the imported stuff. For those who are interested, the websites for Bubalus Bubalis and Star Hill are as follows:

Star Hill Dairy: http://www.starhilldairy.com/products.shtml (with online ordering capability)

Bubalus Bubalis, Co.: http://www.farmersmarketonline.com/mozzarelladibufala.htm or http://www.mozzarelladibufala.net (with online ordering capability)

Peter 

[Bill/SFNM]

I find it interesting that both suppliers claim to be the only domestic producers. Or maybe it's a matter of syntax.

Star Hill Dairy is a modern dairy facility that includes a free stall barn complex, a 5 x 5 tandem milking parlor, and the only water buffalo milk creamery in the United States.

Bubalus Bubalis owns its own water buffalo herd in California and manufactures cheese only from its own milk. We are the only American producer Of Water Buffalo Mozzarella Cheese, Ricotta And Scamorza.

Regardless, I've tried both and they just don't compare to the super-fresh imported stuff, which, as posted, goes downhill very quickly. Given what is available to me, I prefer cows' milk mozzarella on pizza and when I can get quality bufula I eat it uncooked with tomatoes, olive oil, basil, etc.

Bill/SFNM

[Tidge]

I recently toured Italy (lucky me!!) and bought a huge bag of Buffalo mozzarella from a farm shop in Paestum, south of Naples.  I was quite surprised when I took it out the bag, as it had a slight grass-green tinge, and as I ripped it apart I was showered in milky liquid.  And yes, it did have a slightly sour taste to it - but it was as fresh as anything! 

Delicious, if a little messy!