An Ancient Love

From the hills of the Campania region of Italy and the winding, storied streets of Naples comes an undying love, the love of Mozzarella.

Legend has it that the art of making Mozzarella dates back nearly 2000 years. In the third century, the monks of San Lorenzo di Capua gave bread and “mozza" cheese to the poor who came to the convent door. In the sixteenth century, cheese makers began producing mozzarella from the lighter and more delicate milk of the water buffalo.

In 1899, the people of Naples added Mozzarella di Bufala, tomato and basil to their famous Pizza Napoli to symbolize the Italian flag in honour of the visiting Queen. The Pizza Margherita was born.  

Since then, Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP has become more than a staple of Italian cuisine. Savoured everywhere – from little pizzerias to Michelin Star restaurants, and from little farm houses to stately villas, the succulent Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP is more than a cheese: it is the taste of Italy itself.

Mozzarella – more than cheese

Shortly after dawn, the time honoured process of making Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP begins.

The cheese maker traditionally uses the milk from the day's first milking – when it is richest. He heats it for several hours and lets it rest. It is heated again and stirred to separate the curds and whey.  

The whey is drained off and the curds are stirred together. The cheese is then stretched and kneaded until it has a delicate consistency.  

The cheese maker pulls a strand and lops it off to form individual Mozzarella balls. The "lopping off" process is what gives Mozzarella its name, as mozzare means "to lop off" in Italian. 

The Mozzarella balls are placed in brine for the finishing touch.

The art of making Mozzarella di Bufala Campana is so revered that it has earned the status of Protected Designation of Origin (or DOP) by the European Union, which protects the authenticity of local foods.  

Only Mozzarella di Bufala that is made from water buffalo milk in the time-honoured tradition and in certain regions of Italy earns the label DOP. The Mozzarella di Bufala Consortium seal also guarantees the authenticity of the product.

Obikà imports Mozzarella di Bufala DOP only from the highest quality, local producers, so the that you can enjoy the finest Mozzarella in the world.

An Ancient Delicacy, A Modern Surprise

Surprisingly, the nutritional value of Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP is far greater compared to that of Mozzarella made from cow's milk.

Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP is lower in cholesterol, and higher in protein, calcium and polyunsaturated fats, which have been found to have health benefits including helping to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. 

  Call it the Italian paradox that something so sinfully delicious can actually be good for you!