Sometimes referred to as “white gold” or “the pearl of the kitchen”, this cheese is at its best if made from the milk of buffalo raised in the areas of the Campania region that once were marshy. This habitat was ideal for the buffalo, animals imported by the Arabs first to Sicily, and then to this area of the south of Italy.
The name mozzarella comes from the word mozza (short for mozzare, “to cut”), in reference to the act of cutting the different cheeses from the main curd when stretching it.
The first people to make it were the monks in 13th century Campania, who would make it right after milking the buffalo and transport it back to the hills by the swamps where the convents were.
The cheese was then consumed right away or sold to the pilgrims passing by, whose enthusiasm helped spread the popularity of this soft and creamy cheese.
A cheese for the pilgrims
The name mozzarella comes from the word mozza (short for mozzare, “to cut”), in reference to the act of cutting the different cheeses from the main curd when stretching it. The first people to make it were the monks in 13th century Campania, who would make it right after milking the buffalo and transport it back to the hills by the swamps where the convents were. The cheese was then consumed right away or sold to the pilgrims passing by, whose enthusiasm helped spread the popularity of this soft and creamy cheese.
Mozzarella on a carriage
In the 18th century, the buffalo mozzarella started being produced by the noble family of Borboni, responsible for the building of state of the art barns and cheese factories. This way it started to be sold on a larger scale and preserved in cane leaves to maintain its freshness and flavor. When it wasn’t possible to eat it quickly enough, the mozzarella was warmed up in a sandwich made of two pieces of battered and fried bread: this is how a typical Neapolitan dish was created, the mozzarella in carrozza (literally “mozzarella on a carriage”).
Not cold
The best way to consume this delicacy is not cold: it should be eaten the day it is purchased or kept in a cool place inside its water. If it is kept in the fridge, it should be extracted at least a couple of hours before it is served. Buffalo mozzarella is in fact eaten at room temperature, not cold.
The right wine
White wine is ideal: a Fiano di Avellino, from the region Campania, or a Soave from the Veneto region, or the Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, or even a Prosecco Extra Dry.
