Why we're mad about Mozzarella, Burrata, & Co.

Nobody really knows when, how or even why water buffalo arrived in Italy. The most likely theory is that they came in the 11th century with Arab traders to Sicily, then under Norman rule, and found their way to the mainland. One thing is certain: the soggy marshes and meadows of Campania, north and south of Naples were the ideal place for them to thrive. The locals quickly learned how to use the high-fat milk of these buffalo for making cheese. The monks of Capua and Aversa, two ancient cities on the plain of Caserta, served a buffalo milk cheese to their guests in the 12th century – and contemporary documents called them mozza. With time, both the animals and the cheesemaking spread further south, to Puglia, for instance, where buffalo milk cheese also is a speciality, especially Burrata. The rest is history...today Mozzarella is probably the most famous, popular and sought-after fresh cheese not just in Italy but the world.