Where Buffalo Roam
Another brilliantly bright day
dawned on the ‘Cilento’. We
had been there before. The ‘Cilento’, an
area of Campania not far from Calitri, stretches along the broad coastal plain
from Salerno south past the archeological site of Paestum to the town of Sapri. The real estate in between is a rich
agricultural and farming area, best noted as far as we can tell for vegetables
and raising livestock.
We'd
arrived at the Olimpico Hotel and Resort. We'd
also been there before. On arrival we discovered that our friends, Dan and
Roberta, were off on an adventure of their own to the coastal towns of Amalfi
and Positano. We had driven over to
spend their last night at the hotel with them.
Wonderful day that it was, we soon hit the beach just across the
street. I took a dip in the sea followed
later by one in the hotel’s pool while Maria Elena got her exercise sipping an
Aperol Spritz and 'toothpicking' olives by the side of the pool. She chose the better course by far, for
though I enjoyed my foray, I would soon pay the price. I developed what was first diagnosed as
‘swimmer’s ear’. I went first to a local
Calitri doctor and then an ear, nose and throat specialist. The specialist 'grew' the initial diagnosis
following a horse-sized hypodermic needle ear-flush! Reading the tea-leaves, in this case a
black colored waxen nasty looking discharge, it was duly pronounced that I had
an ear infection complicated by fungus!
It seemed that it was not only the cheese that is aged with fungus in
Italy, but myself. This would plague me
for several weeks but that will remain the subject of another story.
Later
that evening, once again reunited with Dan and Roberta, together we enjoyed one
more go at dinner at "Heaven", a restaurant we enjoy just across the
street on the shore. There is nothing
wrong with the hotel's restaurant but Maria Elena and I especially enjoy the
atmosphere in "Heaven". Its
interior is a cross between the charm of Casablanca’s ‘Rick’s’ and the high
ceilinged dining room of New York’s ‘Plaza’.
Shroud the TV set, retrofit the clothing and you could imagine yourself
back in the 50s, maybe the 40s. I love
this place. After all, doesn't everyone
want to go to Heaven? Having earlier
introduced Roberta to alici fritte (fried
anchovies) and cozze (mussels) in a piccante (spicy) tomato sauce, they'd gone
there on their own a few times during their stay at the Hotel Olimpico. While Dan focused on the many delicious
pizzas available, Roberta was hooked on the plump, succulent cozze and had ordered it repeatedly. We were plump ourselves by the time we
departed for that last night's stay at the Olimpico.
Well
digested from the evening's repast and by morning sated following a
fine breakfast, together we departed the Olimpico. Before introducing our friends to Calitri, we would first visit Tenuto Vannulo,
a water buffalo dairy farm in
Capaccio Scalo, home of Mozzarella di
Buffala (Buffalo Mozzarella). We'd
been put on to Tenuto Vannulo by
British neighbors in Calitri, Bernie and Gerry, who had themselves visited the
complex. From their description, I'd
formed a mental image of what to expect but I was way, way wide of the mark.
Our GPS, Margaret, was on a binge.
Not knowing exactly where this farm
was, I was none the wiser and followed her lead. She immediately took us cross-country, when I
later learned that a simple drive down the coast, followed by a turn inland,
would have brought us there much easier.
At one point we found ourselves on a narrow back lane. Grass covered our
path in places. All I could think of was
that line in the very small print of the rental agreement that warns you not to
go off-road! Even an older gentleman,
out walking his dog, looked mildly miffed at finding us where we were. He was nice enough though to confirm we were
in the proper area and if we kept at it, straight ahead, we would eventually
arrive in Capaccio Scalo. I'd have to
have a talk with Margaret!
Finally breaking out onto Via
Magna Grecia, I pulled over for directions
at a street-side storefront. In my best
pidgin Italian, I asked the proprietor where Tenuto Vannulo might be, hoping we were close. Amazingly, we had arrived in Capaccio Scalo
and our destination was just ahead but exactly where, it wasn’t really clear. Continuing down SP276 into and through town,
we, really just me, overshot Via Italia, the only address we had. Seems street signs were at a premium. Following a quick visual check to be sure no
one was around, I made a u-turn in the road and retraced our route until we turned left on what I hoped was Via
Italia. We headed down this non-descript
street lined with homes leading to what appeared to be the outskirts of town, a
likely place for a farm. It was there
that we found the entrance to Tenuto
Vannulo, a modern buffalo mozzarella and leather complex. Just how modern, we would soon realize.
I
was impressed the moment we entered the property. A long avenue lined with trees formally led
us into an immense, well maintained, park-like estate filled with native
Mediterranean plants. We soon discovered
there were three main areas. The first,
where we parked, was the buffalo mozzarella processing area along with sales
areas for its milk products. Behind it
was a building with a long inviting veranda where leather products were manufactured
and sold. Lastly, giving true meaning to
the musical refrain “ ... a home where the buffalo roam ...”, there was the
farm complex itself, where we understood, 300 cows, 200 calves and 4 very happy
bulls made their home.
It was early. There weren't yet many visitors like us
around. That would change before we'd
depart, however. Through a passage
between a 'yogurteria’ and the cheese sales shop, we entered a large backyard
piazza. It was here that we watched Mozzarella di Buffala making up close through
a large plate glass window where visitors could stand and watch as the process
of transforming freshly gathered buffalo milk into this tasty cheese unfolded. Luckily I got an even closer look. Maybe it was my nose pressed to the glass
that got the attention of the workers.
Maybe it was because on that particular day, at that particular moment,
we four were the only spectators. The
men inside waved me inside. Honestly, I
couldn't get in there fast enough. Trying
best not to interrupt, I snapped away quietly from a corner as they went about tugging
and twisting the cheese. They were
rubber booted, dressed head to toe in antiseptic white, even capped with
baseball type caps, white of course. At
first I thought they were holding hands, which is not uncommon in Italy. I needed to get closer.
Mozzarella is produced following
strict recipes, undoubtedly some as secret as Coca-Cola's formulary. In
addition to fresh buffalo milk, the brew requires rennet (a milk coagulant),
milk enzymes, the right amount of heat, time and a smidgen of Old World
traditions. The coagulate is then crumbled
in other vats and stirred (“not shaken”) once hot water is added. It’s then that the magic happens and the
‘crumblies’ somehow combine into a smooth and elastic mozzarella cheese
embryo. Entrepreneurs in the US have as
yet been unsuccessful trying to duplicate this process. Even with herds of their own water buffalos,
something in the final product seems to be missing. The American product as yet seems rubbery and
reportedly squeaky between the teeth. It
may all lie in that smidgen of old fashioned tradition. It seemed easy to make that day at Tenuto Vannulo, where all the mozzarella
produced on the premises each and every day is sold out exclusively in the
estate’s cheese shop, not commercially throughout the area. Such is the demand. With each cow producing from eight to ten
liters of milk a day, that’s some heap of cheese.
The name mozzarella comes from the
Italian word, "mozzare",
meaning "to cut off". The
particular method of cutting the elastic buffalo milk curd, la mozzatura (slicing) provides it with
its unique shape and distinct size. At Vannulo, the mozzatura is still entirely made by hand which accounts for why,
from a distance, it looked like the cheesemakers were holding hands across a
vat of creamy white whey. Like pulling
taffy, they kneaded, stretched and twisted ropes of mozzarella in an incessant
massaging action all the while, for some reason, exchanging ends with each
other. At some moment of mutual
agreement, likely based on just the right feel, they’d stop the ‘patty cake’
and lop off a perfect mozzare ball of
the desired size. The balls were then
placed in cold water followed by a soak in a brine bath to absorb just the
right amount of salt making the snowball orbs fibrous and elastic. The final result is sweet and creamy on the
inside but to get there you first have to slice through an outer surface layer
rich in oozing milk, ready to weep its lactic lifeblood. Fresh mozzarella leaves a lot of liquid even
before it has been cut open, more so when it has been. The entire porcelain-white sphere is edible
but you will notice a slight resistance to your knife as though cutting through
an imperceptible rind protecting its snowy white interior. In a way Mozzarella
Di Bufala inhabits the semi-region, somewhere between solid and liquid.
It was now time to see where all
that buffalo milk came from. We
were on our own; All we needed to do was find them! Looking around, we noticed a lengthy
corrugated metal roofed building and headed that way. A short walk later, we arrived at an
expansive open air building where the buffalo herd was housed. These docile beasts lived beneath something
I’d call a sunshade building. There were
no walls supporting its massive roof, just pillars. A central pavilion containing office spaces
and overlooking balconies took up the center of this giant parasol structure. Surrounding it was a flat muddied space, home
to 300 plus water buffalos divided in half into two matching sides.
The introduction of water buffalo
into Italy remains a mystery to this day. It may be one of the hazards of having such a
long history. Some claim that they, along
with elephants, accompanied invading Hannibal.
Others speculate that Asian water buffalos were brought to Italy by
migrating Goths. However, if an official
sounding though lengthy title has any weight, the "Consortium for the
Protection of the Buffalo Cheese of Campania", an organization of approximately
200 producers, that under law is responsible for the "protection,
surveillance, promotion and marketing" of Mozzarella di Bufala Campana cheese has another opinion. According to them, the most likely
explanation is that Arabs introduced the buffalo to Sicily at the time when
they dominated the island (827 to 1061 AD) and later, the Normans introduced
them to mainland Italy. Interestingly,
of more recent history, mozzarella production in the Cilento was briefly
interrupted during World War II, when retreating German troops slaughtered the
area's water buffalo herds. After the
war, the Italian government acted to introduce new water buffalo stock at
reasonable prices and once again this rarified mozzarella became available.
Unlike its North American cousin,
water buffalos are tar-black, sport short haired coats, are straight backed and
plod around marshy areas with specially suited flat hooves. They also look more like the typical cow. Unlike cows, however, they produce only a
fraction of the milk you get from a typical dairy cow. Their milk is also different with roughly
twice the fat and more calories but less cholesterol then cow's milk, which
makes it decadently creamy and flavorful.
Their sweptback, mostly flattened though curly horns have a distinctive rippled
surface remindful of long flat bean pods.
These beasts appeared to be extremely passive as they went about their
routine. We quickly realized that on
this automated organic farm the buffalos were well cared for and enjoyed a veritable
"Life of Riley".
Watching the computerized automatic
milking was a highlight of my visit. Long gone are the days of three-legged
stools along with a team of milkmen.
Robotic milking machines rule here and not the kind we are used to
seeing where a man places suction cups on the teats before walking away. Instead there was just cow and machine. It was fascinating to watch. The role of man had been entirely substituted
by machine. Light beams have been
substituted for human hands! I was not
sure what the light beams consisted of ... they could have been lasers of some
sort. They somehow lock onto the teats
and viola, slip into place totally without operator intervention. After milking, they also remove themselves,
all on their own. In fact, we saw only
one workman in the entire area. Imagine
300 cows and one overseer to the whole process.
The introduction of these on-demand robots has entirely changed the
milking process. By so doing, the
relationship between man and buffalo has changed profoundly. The buffaloes retain a more natural and less stressing
rhythm to their lives, as now they decide for themselves when to give
milk. That’s right, the cows decide when
they want to be milked. The cows are
trained to enter automatic milking machines unaided. We watched as two or three at a time would
negotiate their way through steel pipe corrals to their turn on the
machine. When the milking ceased minutes
later, gates opened to allow the animal to exit and another to enter. For their part, dairy farmers no longer need
to continually concern themselves with the animals’ needs but have assumed the
role of observers, supervisors and possibly machine maintainers. It seems each cow has an identifying wafer
implanted in its shoulder, which announces its presence to sensors and aids
computers to keep statistics on its host's milk production. When the cow delivers about 7.5 liters of
milk and then approaches the gate to the feeding area, a computerized gate will
open to allow the cow to enter in order to feed. Interestingly, this approximately 500 acre
farm grows all the forage necessary to feed its hungry herd organically, making
it today the only organic buffalo farm in Italy.
After
feeding, cows traverse comfy rubber mats to a massaging area where
large car-wash style spinning brushes will scratch their shoulders and backs
but only if a cow decides to stop and indulge.
They can then lounge on rubber mattresses, even take a shower, as they bide
their time only to repeat the process the next day. The cows have become automatons to
self-gratification, all to the accompaniment of music … nothing as simple as
“Home on the Range” for these cows. They
listen to Brahms and Beethoven! All is
not Shangri-La, however. Cows that do
not stay on the machines to give the requisite quota of milk are denied access
to the feeding area. Realizing this when
the gate doesn't open, a cow will return to be milked until reaching its milk quota. Talk about well trained, and here I thought
that TV ad where your dog fetches you a beer from the refrigerator was fantasy!
Well organized, with considerable
emphasis on the welfare of the animals, the operation appeared truly animal
friendly though I couldn’t help but wonder later, when visiting the leather-goods
annex, where all the leather had come from!
Could it be that the inventory was a reflection on cows with consistently
poor milk production? Another question
occurred to me. How long could a buffalo
last if it never got that feed gate to open?
I didn't ask!
A
visit to the Vannulo estate should
not be considered complete without a stop at their leather handcraft shop. The shop with the long veranda sells handsome
leather aprons, briefcases, and that essential of women's fashion, exquisitely crafted handbags. No news to most husbands, but they best
beware ... women just love this stuff! I
was tempted myself but then what would I do with a fine leather carrying case now
that I'm retired? It was a close call
nevertheless, for only a quick mental conversion from Euros to Dollars on Maria
Elena's part discouraged her from a purchase. No purchase is necessary to simply fondle
everything with your eyes, however. These authentic works of art emphasized the artistic skills and
beauty of traditional Old World craftsmen techniques brought to life with a modern twist. Each
timeless hand cut piece was embellished with a miniature "V" for Vannulo logo embossed into the leather
to mark its authenticity. Without question this was handcrafted
Italian leather meant for
someone who wants and can afford to own nothing but the best, definitely
Italian style at its finest.
In addition to the visual
pleasures throughout the farm and those attained from touching fine
leather, there are additional delights brought on by tasty treats. It was time for refreshments. Inside the ‘yogurteria’ we found yogurts,
puddings and gelato all of course made from the local buffalo milk. By this time, the number of visitors had
multiplied considerably. This was more
than adequately confirmed by the number of tour buses now in the lot and the number
of anxious customers inside. This made
for a crowd at the service counter where outnumbered young girls desperately
scooping, mixing and pouring, tried their best to keep up. Apparently using raw materials of the highest
quality guaranteed an unforgettable taste experience that every visitor sought. We, however, wouldn't know because after a
while we gave up waiting, deciding instead to head for the mozzarella shop next
door before either the crowd there became equally impassible or God forbid,
they ran out of mozzarella.
The
cheese sales office adjacent to the processing area itself took up a
space even smaller than the yogurteria.
This was surprising considering the demand for Tenuta Vannulo
cheese. Italy is a confusion of
cheeses. It abounds in cheeses with
major varieties like Gorgonzola, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Asiago, and Pecorino in
addition to lesser known regional varietals like Caciocavallo.
Just as there are cheeses, there are cheeses. In the world of mozzarella, there is
mozzarella made from cow's milk and then there is buffalo mozzarella. Buffalo
mozzarella, the undisputed heavyweight champion, is king of cheeses and dominates
the Italian dinner table. The absolute highest
quality buffalo mozzarella bears the "La
Mozzarella di Bufala Campana" trademark. It was time to get some of these trademarked
puffy pillows of white gold and this time we were willing to wait. We found that the dairy carried a full range
of traditional products like buffalo mozzarella of course but also ricotta fresca and salata (a variety that has been pressed hard, salted and dried), scamorza (similar to a provolone), even burro (butter). We were after the mozzarella of course. When our turn came, we ordered two of the largest
balls, which came in an insulated box.
Inside were familiar sealed plastic bags containing the cheese suspended
in a liquid, good for a few days keeping.
All told the cost came to approximately $7.90 per pound, though we'd
have paid more. In our minds, the memory
of our visit still as fresh as the cheese, we looked forward to sampling our
purchases later that evening in Calitri.
I’d say that a visit to Tenuto Vannulo is an obligatory stop
if you are anywhere in the area - go out of your way if you must. Along with our companions, I can say we all enjoyed
our time there immensely. Supported by a
cast of hundreds of seemingly thoroughly contented water buffalos, Vannulo weaves together the beauty of a
history of tradition into flavors and forms for modern times. There is enough there to put Kraft's Velveeta, even American cheddar cheese,
not to mention Bordon's cartoon "Elsie the Cow" character to shame. Dinner that night proved it. This was real cheese. It spoke to us in bits and bites at the table
that night until we too anointed it King.
From That Rogue
Tourist,
Paolo
For related photos, click
here on Eyes Over Italy. Look for and click on a photo album entitled
“Where Buffalo Roam”.
