No self-respecting Italian can say they’ve eaten real mozzarella, until they’ve tried mozzarella di bufala. In Molise you can find “caseifici” (or cheese factories) that make authentic mozzarella di bufala on almost every street corner. Obviously, the fresher the mozzarella the stronger the flavour. Pre-packaged mozzarella pales in flavour and texture compared to the real thing. Fresh mozzarella di bufala is stored in the siero (the water in which it is made) out of the fridge for up to 3 days and is served at room temperature to ensure optimal flavour.

Intolerant to dairy or not, when I visit my husband’s family in Molise we always consume as much fresh mozzarella as humanly possible. It is just too delicious to pass up…and it doesn’t help that we usually only have 3 or 4 days to get our fix of it. I’ve literally had mozzarella for lunch and dinner for 3 days in a row…and I don’t regret one morsel of it!

My son’s first meal in Italy was a combination of fresh flavours; sauteed zucchini, prosciutto and fresh mozzarella di bufala.