Buffalo mozzarella, that's easy to say. There are many, many good ones, some overrated and some neglected. The appearance of buffalo mozzarella must be judged by the classic parameters of gastronomic evaluation, i.e. colour, shape, aroma, taste and consistency.
1) Colour
Unlike cow's mozzarella, buffalo mozzarella should not have a straw tinge; it is pearly white like fine quality porcelain.
2) Shape
Smooth and uniform on the outside, flaky and porous on the inside. Special hand-cutting results in an internal texture that appears as an overlap of successive layers interspersed with irregular pores. A large amount of milky fluid escapes during cutting.
3) Aroma
You should smell a milky aroma with a musky trace. The diet of the buffalo is crucial to the smell of the milk and dairy products; the hay and corn they eat give the mozzarella a fresh musky smell.
4) Flavour
In the mouth, a pleasant, diffuse and persistent milkthis is followed by a satisfying lingering fattiness which enhances the flavour.
5) Consistency
An indicator of the freshness and quality of buffalo mozzarella is its hardness under the teeth: very soon after production it has a hard and crunchy consistency and is difficult to chew. Over time it tends to soften, losing its hardness and becoming soft and supple.
Mozzarella must be packaged in the dairy where it is produced or directly in front of the customer if it is a farm shop. The mozzarella must be packed in special plastic bags intended for food use and sealed Consorzio di tutela della mozzarella di bufala campana DOP, and must float immersed in the preserving liquid, thus preserving all its flavour characteristics.
