Mozzarella di Bufala Campana & more

The expression "mozzarella" derives from the verb "mozzare" (to cut off) or, in other words, the operation that is still performed in all dairies where the cheese is manually handled with a characteristic movement and pieces of stringy curd are then detached with index fingers and thumbs to form the individual mozzarellas in their most typical, round form. Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP forms part of the fresh, stringy paste cheeses produced exclusively with buffalo milk from the area of origin and created with a technological process that complies with the production regulations. With the inclusion in the EU register of Denomination of Protected Origin in 1996, the organoleptic and merchandise characteristics of the typical mozzarella of Campania buffalo milk was officially recognised on the basis of the environmental conditions and traditional working practices that exist in the specific and limited area of production. Buffalo milk has a different composition to that of other animal species, such as cows and sheep, for example, whose milk is used for cheese production. It is richer in protein, fats and, above all, in overall calcium. These chemical characteristics allow those who work with it to obtain a cheese making yield that is double that normally obtained with cows' milk.