You would not expect it from the name, yet mozzarella d’Oro di Blariaco is a truly Dutch product. The buffalo milk comes from Buffalo Pietfarm in Deurne and the mozzarella is made at Kaashandel Tebben in Blerick. And of course you will find the products at your HANOS wholesale store:
"Water buffalo are calm and affectionate. They enjoy being petted and have a temperament similar to that of a dog."
We are curious about the buffalo that supply the milk for Mozzarella d’Oro di Blariaco. Between Griendtsveen and Asten, a narrow path takes us deep into the Peel to Piet Vogels’ farm. A sign with the name Buffalo Pietfarm and a painting of an imposing buffalo stops us from driving past. Piet Vogels still remembers exactly the day the cattle trucks with more than fifty water buffalo from Italy pulled up: 2 April 2000. He was one of the first Dutch water buffalo farmers. For some years now, he has been running the farm with his son-in-law. They know their animals inside out: ‘Water buffalo are calm and affectionate. They like being petted and have the character of a dog. Buffalo are clever, and when they are outside, they love to roll in the mud. That is why they only come out of the barn when it has been dry. Otherwise you would have no meadow left.’
A buffalo produces considerably less milk than a cow: around two thousand litres a year, compared with eight to ten thousand litres for a cow! With a fat content of eight to ten per cent, water buffalo milk is much creamier than the milk of cows, goats and sheep. Its protein and calcium content is also higher. Most people with a cow’s milk allergy or lactose intolerance can tolerate buffalo milk. Classic mozzarella is made with buffalo milk, and so is this Mozzarella d’Oro di Blariaco.
The photo shows an important step in making mozzarella. The cheesemakers assess the stretch quality of the melted curd. With a good stretch, the ‘dough’ can be pulled up to 1 metre long!
The Dutch mozzarella is porcelain white and peels like a fresh onion. The outer layer is slightly firmer than the core. When you cut a ball in half, the milky liquid runs out. This ‘bleeding heart’ is a guarantee of the highest quality. Francois Tebben of Tebben Kaas in Blerick is proud of it: ‘A few years ago we started experimenting. Making mozzarella is very complex. Two specialists from Italy taught us the basics of the classic recipe. After that, we got to work ourselves. Successfully.’
An Italian name for a truly Dutch product – how does that work? In Roman times, Blerick was called Blariaco. There, on the fertile banks of the Maas, cattle grazed and provided milk. From that milk, the Romans made delicious cheese in earthenware cheese presses. In the Blariaco of old, Tebben Kaas now makes mozzarella in the authentic Italian way. Sometimes it is good when history repeats itself…
