Buffalo Mozzarella (Deca & Otto)
- Producer
- Deca & Otto
- Country
- Colombia
- Website
- www.decaotto.com
- Milk
- Buffalo
- Treatment
- Pasteurised
- Classification
- Semi Soft
- Rennet
- Microbial
- Rind
- Fresh
- Style
- Pasta Filata (mozzarella-type)
We often daydream about diving into a pillowy ball of buffalo’s milk mozzarella, famed for the way the milk’s high protein and fat content unite to create a luscious, decadent version of the southern Italian classic. Unfortunately, though, the trip across the Atlantic can be taxing for those ultra-fresh beauties. Enter Deca & Otto, a Colombian producer churning out fresh bufala from the milk of that South American country’s many grassfed buffalos—and exporting it north on refrigerated flights to the U.S.
Deca & Otto began as a small project for foodie and entrepreneur Juan Manuel Quintero, who started buying milk from farmers in the Northen Colombian plains—a fertile and swampy landscape perfect for water buffalo—and eventually traveled to Italy to purchase cheesemaking equipment. After meeting Alberto Sasson, a business owner already exporting roses to the U.S. in daily refrigerated flights, the two decided to team up to export cheeses, too (along with a fabulous version of buffalo milk Dulce de Leche, a Burrata, and a line of plain and flavored yogurts.) The duo named their company for Deca, their first buffalo, and Otto, a little bird that sits on her and grooms her while she grazes.
At Deca & Otto Farms, buffalos are milked by hand before the milk is immediately sent to a refrigerator. Production of the cheese begins every morning, as milk is slowly agitated to reach the correct temperature and pH, until curds separate from whey. As in traditional mozzarella-making, cheesemakers form curds together, chop them up and re-heat them in water to render them flexible. Stretched curds are formed into a ball and placed in cool water to solidify. They'll remain submerged in a brine when packaged, to stay moist and fresh.
Tasting Notes
Exuding aromas of milk, lemon juice and pebbles, this bone-white mozzarella ball looks smooth on the surface and opens to reveal a textured inside. Flavor is buttery and milky, with a slight minerality.
Pairings
The cheese is available in three distinct sizes (small Ciliegine, medium Bocconcini and large Ovoline), offering flexibility for a range of uses in salads or in typical Italian recipes.
