# Mozzarella Cheese question **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 2, 2014, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mozzarella-cheese-question/689826 "2014-06-02T11:32:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mozzarella-cheese-question/689826/1 "2014-06-02T11:32:23Z")
A few times in my television-viewing career, I have seen cooking shows where someone demonstrates how easy it is to make mozzarella cheese in your own kitchen, by making mozzarella cheese in their own kitchen. The TV chef always tells the audience that he’s making the cheese using water buffalo milk. What this suggests to me is that water buffalo milk is the standard type of milk used in mozzarella cheese. This confuses me. I’ve been led to believe that mozzarella cheese is an Italian food. But I’ve never been led to believe that Italian cowboys drive vast herds of water buffalo across the open range of the Piedmonte region, or even that Italian dairy farmers trudg out to the milking barn at zero dark-thirty, to hook their dairy water buffalo up to the milking machines. Have I been misinformed about the prevalance of water buffalo on the Italian landscape? Or is this another _vodka-can-be-made-with-other-things-besides-potatoes_\* thing all over again? \*P.S. No, it can’t. ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mozzarella-cheese-question/689826/2 "2014-06-02T11:47:31Z")
From wikipedia: [Italian Buffalo](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_buffalo) ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mozzarella-cheese-question/689826/3 "2014-06-02T11:48:39Z")
> **[Italian Mediterranean buffalo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_buffalo)** > > The Italian Mediterranean Buffalo or Bufala Mediterranea Italiana is an Italian breed of water buffalo. It is of the River sub-type of water buffalo and is similar to the buffalo breeds of Hungary, Romania and the Balkan countries. It is the only indigenous water buffalo breed in Italy.: 94  A herd-book was opened in 1980, and the breed was officially recognised in 2000. > There are conflicting hypotheses concerning the origins of the European water buffalo: one, based on fossil bones found in... Ninja’d but that’s what I get for reading a bit. These buffalo are not only in Italy, they’re specifically used for making Buffalo Mozzarella. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mozzarella-cheese-question/689826/4 "2014-06-02T11:49:30Z")
The Italian water buffalo – [Italian Mediterranean buffalo - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_buffalo) ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mozzarella-cheese-question/689826/5 "2014-06-02T11:51:30Z")
And I doubt that water buffaloes are amenable to be driven in herds across vast plains to be butchered in the Italian equivalent of Kansas City or Chicago. They need to stick close to water. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mozzarella-cheese-question/689826/6 "2014-06-02T11:52:59Z")
[Traditionally, yes, it’s made of buffalo milk.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozzarella) Less so now because cow’s milk is more widely available. Also, very little Italian made buffalo mozzarella makes it outside of Italy. I’ve only had buffalo milk mozzarella on very few occassions in high end Italian restaurants that source ingredients from local farms. It was great but I’m not sure I’d be able to tell cow from buffalo. Freshness is the thing that’s more important when it comes to good mozzarella. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mozzarella-cheese-question/689826/7 "2014-06-02T12:00:39Z")
Heh. When I read the thread title I _knew_ it had to be about buffalo. Cause what else could anyone wonder about mozzarella? ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mozzarella-cheese-question/689826/8 "2014-06-02T12:03:02Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Or is this another _vodka-can-be-made-with-other-things-besides-potatoes_\* thing all over again? > > \*P.S. No, it can’t. [Vodka may be distilled from any starch- or sugar-rich plant matter; most vodka today is produced from grains such as sorghum, corn, rye or wheat.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vodka#Production) Or am I being whooshed again? ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mozzarella-cheese-question/689826/9 "2014-06-02T12:05:06Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Heh. When I read the thread title I _knew_ it had to be about buffalo. Cause what else could anyone wonder about mozzarella? Well, there’s the nagging question of [buratta](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burrata). 😛 ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mozzarella-cheese-question/689826/10 "2014-06-02T12:12:18Z")
Italian Water Buffalo, eh? Hmmph. Last time I rely on the scenery from the “Small World” ride at Disneyland to provide me with comprehensive knowledge of the Larger Mammals of Southern Europe. Many thanks to all for clearing that up for me. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mozzarella-cheese-question/689826/11 "2014-06-02T12:13:01Z")
The more I know the more I realize how little I know. Apologies to Sam Clemens if he said this first.😉 ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mozzarella-cheese-question/689826/12 "2014-06-02T12:15:01Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > [Vodka may be distilled from any starch- or sugar-rich plant matter; most vodka today is produced from grains such as sorghum, corn, rye or wheat.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vodka#Production) > > Or am I being whooshed again? I have Views. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mozzarella-cheese-question/689826/13 "2014-06-02T12:38:50Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > I have Views. Get better ones. If you want to turn your nose up at something, most people go with bourbon or scotch. Tequila, maybe. Don’t pick a neutral spirit and insist it must be made from inferior ingredients. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mozzarella-cheese-question/689826/14 "2014-06-02T12:59:10Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > Get better ones. > > If you want to turn your nose up at something, most people go with bourbon or scotch. Tequila, maybe. Don’t pick a neutral spirit and insist it must be made from inferior ingredients. You misspelled “superior.” 😉 Although I will agree that vodka made from potatoes should be properly referred to as “Poitin.” A bit of sugar beet and malted barley won’t go wrong in the mix, however. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mozzarella-cheese-question/689826/15 "2014-06-02T13:01:42Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > [Traditionally, yes, it’s made of buffalo milk.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozzarella) Less so now because cow’s milk is more widely available. Also, very little Italian made buffalo mozzarella makes it outside of Italy. I’ve only had buffalo milk mozzarella on very few occassions in high end Italian restaurants that source ingredients from local farms. It was great but I’m not sure I’d be able to tell cow from buffalo. Freshness is the thing that’s more important when it comes to good mozzarella. It’s readily available across Europe - every decent sized supermarket in the UK carries buffalo mozzarella. Maybe too expensive to import into the US? It’s a ‘protected’ product in the EU, so supermarkets can’t pass off stuff that isn’t the real thing. [Here](http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=44&productId=17234&storeId=10151&krypto=%2FOmlTiLkdN%2FvIKu%2ByrqZDpE88zcNDdtkCDeb3TLa9n0euAXLotivmKYUiINr00WxsPn0SbE%2FhIWf%0A1Q85ztMP25vbYsFn%2BIZU4k3WQhLoR5ZE%2BddZwhsXdI8pfvD1LPKo)’s an example from a big British supermarket chain. Buratta on other hand is far superior, but a bit harder to find outside Puglia. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mozzarella-cheese-question/689826/16 "2014-06-02T13:29:59Z")
It’s worth noting here that the American bison is not, properly speaking, a buffalo. Bison aren’t found in Europe, but they don’t need to be. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mozzarella-cheese-question/689826/17 "2014-06-02T14:21:49Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > It’s readily available across Europe - every decent sized supermarket in the UK carries buffalo mozzarella. Maybe too expensive to import into the US? It’s a ‘protected’ product in the EU, so supermarkets can’t pass off stuff that isn’t the real thing. I believe I’ve seen domestic buffalo milk mozzarella in the US. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mozzarella-cheese-question/689826/18 "2014-06-02T14:39:15Z")
I’ve seen it, and purchased it in the US as well. Just not very readily. Specialty Italian food places like Altamonte and DiBruno Bros in Philadelphia often have it. Every now and then Whole Foods will have it. But I’ve never seen it at the supermarkets. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mozzarella-cheese-question/689826/19 "2014-06-02T16:31:38Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > I have Views. Really odd views. Even most Polish and Russian vodkas aren’t made with potatoes. Grain is usual. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mozzarella-cheese-question/689826/20 "2014-06-02T16:47:47Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Bison aren’t found in Europe, but they don’t need to be. [_cough_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_bison) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mozzarella-cheese-question/689826.md?page=2)