Mozzarella di Bufala: The Posh Pizza Topping

Mozzarella di Bufala (also know to non-Italians as Buffalo Mozzarella) is one of those things that most people probably should care about but don't. I mean you buy the normal stuff, shred it on a pizza and enjoy; why should I have to bother with the "proper" buffalo one? Chefs without budgets and unfaltering supporters of quality food will likely scorn that statement but, with the product being roughly about £16 per kilo and visibly identical, it's not without merit.

It's written in Italian, of course it's expensive

So I decided to bite the bullet and get some myself. On a side note for it to be the real deal it has to specifically be called Mozzarella di Bufala and has to be certified, otherwise it wasn't produced in Italy and may or may not be as good.

It's supposed to look like a malformed cue ball

On the touch it's somewhat bouncy, indicating that the inside is wetter than the outside. Once you strip off a piece you can see how the outside is more like cows milk mozzarella and the inside is soft and gooey, almost partially set.

The flavour itself is very subtle. It starts off completely neutral but as you let it dissolve in your mouth the qualities of the buffalo milk start to come through. Creamy, lactose fattiness with a slightly sour tang at the end of it, leaving the tongue completely reset for another bite. It reminds me more of a good quality whole milk than of any cheese; it's really quite remarkable. You certainly wouldn't think what you just consumed was approximately 25% fat.

Compared to standard mozzarella it's a lot softer, the contrast between the outside and inside is greater, it breaks apart like cottage cheese rather than in thick strips and it actually tastes of something. When you grill it the flavours and texture are exemplified; it's the ultimate nacho topping.

All in all, is it worth it? Yes and no. If it is destined to be grilled or sit with a menagerie of other cheeses on a pizza I don't suppose the average dinner will exactly suffer from a lack of buffalo mozzarella. But if it's going to stand alone, or if you really want to make your food that extra bit more awesome, you owe it to yourself to use the original and the best.

Besides, it's gooey, creamy, fatty, moreish cheese. What other excuse do you need?