Overview
Mozzarella di Bufala Campana is a stretched-curd cheese from whole fresh milk of Italian Mediterranean buffalo, raised in a mapped southern Italian area. Qualigeo’s PDO summary says the milk must reach the dairy within 60 hours of milking. There is no cave calendar. The work happens in the vat: acidify, heat, stretch, shape, pack at the plant.
The pH window
The same notes put the vat at 33–36°C, then spin water at about 95°C. Pasta filata only stretches when the curd’s acidity falls into a narrow band. Miss it and you get a lump, not a thread. Buffalo milk’s extra solids give a sweeter, denser bite than many cow mozzarellas. Tear it; do not saw it. Heat will tighten the protein — pizza is a different life from the ball in the bag.
The PDO name is specific. “Mozzarella” on its own is a technique, not this cheese.
Sources
Legal ages, breeds, and cave rules are checked against official specifications or government pages. Sensory lines are editorial description, not lab results.
- Consorzio Tutela — Mozzarella di Bufala Campana production · Consorzio di Tutela Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP Whole fresh milk of Italian Mediterranean buffalo raised in the PDO area; Packed at the plant of origin
- Qualigeo — Mozzarella di Bufala Campana PDO · Qualigeo / official PDO summary Milk delivered within 60 hours of milking; Vat 33–36°C; Spin water about 95°C