Product Review: Mitica Gran Bu di Bufala Cheese

Santa Claus must recognize my curiosity about the cheeses of the world, because this last Christmas [1] he brought me an Italian cheese called Gran Bu di Bufala. As you might guess, this cheese is made from the milk of buffalo—not North American bison (Bison bison), but European water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis). Water buffalo aren't used much for meat or dairy in North America, but they are the primary bovine species used in agriculture for much of southern Asia, especially India.[2] They are also used extensively in southern Europe, northern Africa, and eastern South America.

My verdict: This cheese was so hard it tore the wire off my cheese slicer. (I was able to repair it, though.) It had a mild flavor that reminded me a little of sheep cheese.[3] I think it would've been better to eat it with fruit rather than a salami. If you're curious about water buffalo cheese, this might be a good place to start, since it's mild.

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Notes:

[1] See my post Lillian's First Christmas.

[2] See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water Buffalo.

[3] This website reports that Grana di Bufala cheese is 80% cow's milk and 20% water buffalo's milk. If the same is true for Gran Bu di Bufala (or if they're the same cheese), that might account for its mildness.