Since I have a little bit of time between the holidays to relax, I’ll continue sharing my summer journey in Italy. I came across some interesting photos (and video!) to the mozzarella factory, La Fenice, in Vico Equense, near Sorrento, in Lazio. It is a small company owned by Salvatore de Gennaro. They get fresh buffalo milk (hearty, concentrated and dense) daily, from a farm near Caserta. According to Italian law, the milk must be delivered to the dairy before the 16th hour after milking. La Fenice also produces Bresaola di Bufala, Ricotta di Bufala, Caciocavallo di Bufala and Burro di Bufala.
Bufala mozzarella was born in Italy. The word mozzarella derives from the Italian verb mozzare (to tear), explaining the production of the cheese, which is cropped by hand. Italy produces 33,000 tons of mozzarella every year and 16% of that is sold abroad. There is a legend of how water buffalo were brought to Italy. One theory is that the Goths brought the Asian water buffalo to Italy during the early medieval ages. But the Consorzio per la Tutela del Formaggio Mozzarella di Bufala Campana believes that they were introduced to the Normas of Sicily to the rest of Italy in 1000, after the Arabs introduced them.Buffalo Mozzarella became widespread in the south of Italy during the last half of 18th Century. According to the Mozzarella di Bufula di Campagna DOP: "The richness of buffalo milk makes it highly suitable for processing and to produce 1 kg of cheese, a cheese maker requires 8 kg of cow's milk but only 5 kg of buffalo milk. To produce 1 kg of butter requires 14 kg of cow's milk but only 10 kg of buffalo milk. Because of these high yields, processors appreciate the value of buffalo milk."
Bufala mozzarella is meant to be consumed within 2-3 days. It is absolutely essential to normalize the ratio of fat to protein in the mozzarella. The buffalos lactation is therefore observed. Mozzarella requires the milk to have at least a 7% milk fat.
After the milk has coagulated, sieroinnesto natural (called "cizza" in Italian) is added to naturally acidify the milk. The acidity of the whey is maintained between 40-60 degrees C per 100 mL.
You do not want to exceed the mean duration of coagulation by more than 30 minutes. The optimum solution is to enter the milk directly into a boiler at the temperature of coagulation and maintain this temperature with a system of thermoregulation.
Bleeding is the separation of whey from the curd. The break is usually done manually with a Ruotolo wooden (stick with an end fixed to a wooden disk), or a metal plug. The breaking of the curd is done when the granules are the size of a walnut.
The maturation of the curd is completed in tubs in order to reduce acidification processes and reach a pH level of about 4.95. Then, hot water is poured onto the curd in order to soften it. This produces what the Italians call, pasta filata.
Shaping is done in special rotating machines, and the mozzarella is then cooled in water. It is then salted, and packaged in liquid that contains the original whey.
In the end, fresh bufala mozzarella should have a white porcelain appearance, with about an inch of smooth crust. They can weigh from 20 grams to 800 grams each.
But the taste is the most magnificent part of all this production. When you bite into fresh bufala mozzarella the ball should explode in your mouth, showing all its juiciness and flooding the mouth with intense, milky flavor. It is one of the best products of Southern Italy.
If you ever find yourself in Vico Equense, drop by La Fenice. They're at Via Vadopiano, 5 and can be reached at +39 0818 028437. Tell them Cesare sent you. And buy a whole crate of fresh bufala mozzarella.Buon Appetito!
Cesare
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