Buffalo mozzarella

Buffalo mozzarella
Other names	Mozzarella di bufala
Country of origin	Italy
Region	Campania, Lazio, Puglia, and Molise
Source of milk	Italian water buffalo
Texture	Fresh
Certification	Mozzarella di bufala campana: Italy: DOC 1993 EU: PDO 1996
Related media on Commons

Buffalo mozzarella (Italian: mozzarella di bufala; Neapolitan: muzzarella 'e vufera) is a mozzarella made from the milk of the Italian Mediterranean buffalo. It is a dairy product traditionally manufactured in Campania, especially in the provinces of Caserta and Salerno.

The term mozzarella derives from the procedure called mozzare which means "cutting by hand", separating from the curd, and serving in individual pieces, that is, the process of separation of the curd into small balls.^{[citation needed]} It is appreciated for its versatility and elastic texture and often called "the queen of the Mediterranean cuisine", "white gold" or "the pearl of the table".^{[citation needed]}

The buffalo mozzarella sold as mozzarella di bufala campana has been granted the status of denominazione di origine controllata (DOC – "controlled designation of origin") since 1993.^{[citation needed]} Since 1996^[1] it is also registered as an EU and UK protected designation of origin (Italian: DOP) product. The protected origin appellation requires that it may only be produced with a traditional recipe in select locations in the regions of Campania, Lazio, Puglia, and Molise.^[2][3]