Say Cheese!

Salerno, Italy

Bad weather often leads us to places we would not ordinarily go, and when a storm was brewing near Italy’s famed Amalfi Coast, we ducked Berkeley East into a marina south of Salerno for cover.

So what is there to do near Salerno? Visit a buffalo mozzarella farm of course.

Lately, we have become somewhat of Caprese Salad aficionados. Tomatoes, mozzarella and fresh basil, dressed with olive oil and salt; no vinegar, a true Caprese Salad does not have balsamic, or vinegar of any kind.

So we are always in search of great mozzarella, and this was the land of “mozzarella di latte di bufala,” mozzarella made from the milk of buffaloes. Little did we know that these are not the buffalo we know from Catalina Island (which are actually bison), these are Mediterranean Water Buffalo, first brought from Asia centuries ago.

The term mozzarella comes from the process called mozzatura, which means “cutting by hand”. The buffalo mozzarella from Campania has the prestigious status of DOC (controlled designation of origin), which means it adheres to strict production standards and regulations.

We toured one of Italy’s most famous farms, where everything is buffalo: mozzarella, ricotta, yogurt, butter and gelato. And we ate at their restaurant, where everything is made from buffalo: cheese, pasta, burgers, and desserts.

Not far away lies Pasteum, one of Europe’s most recognized archaeological zones. Founded in the 6th century BC by Greek settlers, and designated a Unesco World Heritage Site, Pasteum is home to three of the world’s best preserved ancient Greek temples. Today, surrounded by buffalo farms, Pasteum offers a vivid glimpse of the splendor and sophistication of the area’s past life.