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Anthony Gismondi on Wine
Thursday, June 22 2023

Mozzarella di Bufala

By: Allison Spurrell
Think insalata caprese

This week we look at a personal favourite, especially in the summer, when it works so well with fresh, hand-picked tomatoes.

Cheese Name: Mozzarella di Bufala

Origin: Campania, Italy originally, although other versions are made in Canada as well as other countries. 

Milk Type: water buffalo milk

Style: Fresh unripened pasta filata 

Description: the cheese is flown from Italy to North America packed in water to maintain its freshness. The texture is springy, and the paste is smooth, with a slightly elastic feel.

Tasting Notes: Lactic, delicate floral notes with a slightly sour note on the finish 

Pairing: This is one cheese that is more interesting served with the right accompaniments. The classic Caprese salad, made with Bufala and tomatoes garnished with fresh basil is always delicious in August when local tomatoes are perfectly ripe. Grilled eggplant and zucchini on the barbeque, topped with fine peppery olive oil and some Bufala is a great picnic dish. I especially like a platter of grilled crusty bread brushed with olive oil and grilled radicchio, topped with a few slices of Bufala and with a freshly made anchovy dressing. Summer is the best time to enjoy this cheese. The clean, simple flavours are a beautiful complement to the bounty of your vegetable garden, or the local farmers market.

Written By: Allison Spurrell
Allison Spurrell
Allison Spurrell

Allison Spurrell stocks the larders of the city’s finest restaurants and your fridge alike, through les amis du FROMAGE, cheese shops in the Kitslano and Strathcona neighbourhoods in Vancouver which she runs with Joe Chaput. Their shelves are filled with 400 cheeses, including local, raw milk French, Italian and other specialties. They also sell foie gras, pâtés, crackers, biscuits, varietal olive oils, vinegars and other specialty food items and their kitchen in Strathcona prepares popular frozen taken away meals. Les amis du FROMAGE has received Vancouver Magazine's Restaurant Award as a top food supplier to Vancouver’s best restaurants and hotels. Allison is a proud member of Confrerie les Chevalier du Taste Fromage de France. To buy cheese visit: les amis du FROMAGE in Kitslano - 1752 West 2nd Ave | Tel (604) 732-4218 or Strathcona - 843 East Hastings St | Tel 604-253-4218 | www.buycheese.com.