2016 ITALY Pastorano 28 - Buffalo Milk to Mozzarella

Next we learned about the automated milking process. It is essentially the same as the cow milking process, but this family invented a milking machine that works better for the female water buffalo. They are milked twice a day
--04:00 and 16:00. Milking time per buffalo is about 7.5 minutes.

Buffalos automatically head to the two milking houses at the right times. Each house handles twenty-two animals at a time. They are showered, their nipples sanitized and massaged, and then get hooked up to their milking machines. Machines stop automatically when milking is complete. Cows produce 30 liters of milk per day compared to 7-8 liters produced by these buffalo gals.

Each buffalo has a microchip which is connected to the milk they produce. A doctor checks animals every morning for any health issues.

Again, the process here is pretty automated. Milk is measured and evaluated with buttons and digital read-outs, and then piped to the cheese-making area. We were sorry to miss the actual milking process, but not here at the right time of day.

Other facts:
- They have about 1,500 water buffalo on this farm--650 calves and 850 adults. 500 of those are milked twice a day.
- These buffalo eat only from vegetation grown in the surrounding fields. Soil is rich from the long history of a three volcano environment.
- Each buffalo eats 40 kilos of mainly corn and alfalfa per day.
- Sixty percent of their product is exported out of the country and Japan is their biggest customer.
- They are known for the quality and breeding of their animals, so farms around the world buy buffalo livestock from here.
- Buffalos have four stomachs to process their food to milk (the same as cows).
- There are two veterinarian doctors and two vet labs on site.
- The natural water in the ponds comes from mountain flow.
- Artificial insemination is used to impregnate their buffalo.
- Gestation period is 281-334 days and babies are born in September.
- They don't take milk from pregnant cows or new mothers.
- Can start milking at three years old.
- Animals often live to 30 years old, but give good milk for 18 years.
- There is a family church on the premises.

Next stop...the tasting room. Yahoo! It was a big adobe-colored building with little "towers" on the upper level.

The room was decorated beautifully with lots of "buffalo art."

 

We had a number of courses. Each, in part at least, involved bufalo di mozzarella, fresh from the farm. Courses went something like this:

Bread, olive oil, fig marmalade (Mike was in heaven), honey, and mozzarella sampler. One sample was even in a little heart-shape.

Mozz, sausage, and salumi (salami) platter. Braided mozz. Salad.

Above lower left is smoked mozz with two amounts of smokiness--a bit salty and drier, but still delish.

Pasta with chunks of mozz.

Pistachio and hazelnut ice creams made with buffalo milk. Oh, so rich and wonderful.

And, of course, wine with every course. It was interesting to see and taste the various ways mozz can be presented all at one time. I never thought I could get my fill of fresh mozz, but today I came darn close.

All the while we listened to hard rock, but soft volume music such as the Doors' "Come On, Baby, Light My Fire."

OK, roll me down the steps, into the van, and on to the next course ... oh I mean next stop. Manuela waved good-bye as she and her pup got back to farm chores.

I think this was Mike's favorite stop of the whole trip. To learn more, go to:
www.aziendacesaregiulioiemma.it