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Biting into stretchy mozzarella
Tradition and habits of buffalo milk consumption are quite diverse in different parts of the world. There is however an increasing demand for buffalo milk and buffalo milk products. Dairy buffalo milk production has increased to account for up to 13% of world milk production in recent years and there is a steady consistent growth in the buffalo population in most of the buffalo milk producing countries.
There is also consistent growth of three to five percent in buffalo milk production worldwide, which compares well with the other popular milk producing species.
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Buffalo milk differs substantially from milk from other dairy species.
The milk processing industry values the superior whitening property of buffalo milk, which makes it very suitable for producing skim milk powder. The high proportion of milk solids in buffalo milk not only make it ideal for processing into valuable dairy products, but also contribute to some extent to energy saving during processing. Yoghurts made from buffalo milk are naturally thick set, which reduces the need to add additional milk proteins or gelling agents.
Buffalo milk has a higher casein concentration and the casein index (casein content/protein content x 100) is higher than 80%, which is higher than that of cow or goat milk (Alais, 1984). Buffalo milk is known to have superior renneting ability and curd firmness, properties which are important in the production of mozzarella cheese. The high casein content of buffalo milk is known to influence curd firmness (Storry and Ford, 1982).
Buffalo milk in an open tank.
Buffalo milk fetches a good price all over the world. Margins per kg raw milk from buffalo are higher than for cow milk in the major buffalo milk producing countries. This is evident from the 2007 prices for raw milk and milk products from buffalo milk and the corresponding raw milk prices from dairy cows in these countries.
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In regions where buffalo have been breeding for centuries several milk products based on buffalo milk have evolved. The qualities of buffalo milk such as high total solids content, superior whiteness and viscosity, give buffalo milk preference over cow milk for the preparation of several Indian dairy products as well as specialised cheeses. Buffalo milk is used to produce unique products worldwide like mozzarella, yoghurts, ice creams, dahi, ghee and paneer. A brief description of some popular buffalo milk products follows.
A large portion of buffalo milk is converted into chai in small tea shops throughout the length and breadth of India and Pakistan. In a typical Indian tea stall or household, chai is usually prepared by boiling loose tea leaves in a vessel with buffalo milk and water. Depending on personal preference, various spices and sugar may be added at this stage. What is understood to be chai in western countries is really what is called masal chai in India. Buffalo milk is preferred to cow milk in making tea due to its superior whitening properties and the higher proportion of total solids in buffalo milk.
Buffalo yoghurt from Italy.
Buffalo cream is easier to churn than cow milk cream on account of its higher fat content and the size of the fat globule. These larger fat globules also make it easier to achieve more complete removal of fat from buffalo milk when making skim milk. Butter produced from buffalo milk has better keeping qualities than cow milk butter because of the higher proportion of solid fat, which results in a slower rate of fat hydrolysis and comparatively lower rancidity in storage.
Ghee is the main cooking and frying medium in Indian cooking. Many Indians are vegetarians and ghee is the main source of animal fat in their diets. Sweets and meals cooked in ghee are specially appreciated and are cooked for special occasions. Although ghee from cow milk has a special place in the Hindu culture, buffalo milk is sometimes preferred over cow milk in commercial ghee preparations, again because of its higher fat content. This produces a clean flavour and as it is slower to become rancid it has a longer shelf life (Aneja et. al. 2002).
The texture of buffalo ghee is better than that of cow milk ghee due to its bigger grain size, which in turn may be due to the higher proportion of high melting triglycerides (9–12%) compared to 5% in cow milk fat (Patil and Nayak, 2003). Ghee is produced by heat desiccation of butter or cream at 105˚ to 110˚C. The burning and caramelisation of lactose during the long heating process imparts a pleasant cooked flavour to ghee. The cream separated in households or in dairies is often fermented with similar cultures to those used for dahi, giving ghee a characteristic flavour. Ghee from cow milk is distinctly yellow while that from buffalo milk is clear white. After desiccation during storage ghee develops granular crystals that remain dispersed in clear fat.
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Fermented milk products are an important part of the diet of the people of the Indian subcontinent. Ambient temperatures are usually high in this area and converting milk into fermented milk products is a good way to minimize spoilage. Products like dahi (curd), lassi (stirred curd) and chach (buttermilk) are part of the daily diet of most Indian homes.
Dahi is often mistaken for yoghurt: these are two distinct products in terms of the cultures used to prepare them and the flavours. Dahi is usually made in homes using traditional kitchen recipes. Usually buffalo milk is preferred for dahi because the curd formed is white and thick and has a distinctive flavor. The superior body and texture of buffalo milk dahi could be attributed to the higher total solids content especially fat and protein, the casein micelles and the large fat globules and higher calcium content in the colloidal state ( Sindhu and Singhal, 1988).
Milk is boiled and cooled and inoculated with a dahi starter containing a mixed mesophillic culture of Lactococcus lactis subspecies lactis, Lactococcus lactis subspecies cremoris,
Lactococcus lactis subspecies diacetylactis and Leuconostoc species grown together. These microorganisms produce a typical flavour in temperatures ranging from 25˚–35°C, and give the dahi a firm body, sweet taste, mildly acidic taste and the typical aroma which is more prominent with buffalo milk (Aneja et. al., 2002).
A very popular dessert called shrikhand, is made with curd placed in a soft porous cotton pouch, which is then hung on a peg to drain for a few hours. Sugar, salt, red chilli powder, black pepper, cumin powder, saffron, cardamom, diced fruit and nuts may then be mixed in for taste. A special Indian preparation called raita is also made from dahi. Grated or small diced cucumber or bottle gourd is added to the dahi, and in some regions small pieces of tomato and onion are also added along with the spices. It is common for people to eat rice mixed with plain yoghurt with or without banana after the main meal.
Fresh buffalo mozarella in a shop in Latina, Italy.
Mozzarella cheese is synonymous with buffalo and Italy. Buffalo rearing was introduced into Italy in the seventh century, but in the same areas stretched curd cheeses were made from cow’s milk as well. It was only in the 1950’s that a distinction was made by calling the soft stretched curd from cow milk “Fior di Latte” and that from buffalo milk “Mozzarella”.
There is a worldwide increase in mozzarella cheese consumption and Italy exports about 14% of its mozzarella production (Borghese, 2005). The mozzarella manufactured in the region of Campana close to Naples in southern Italy has a DOP (Denomination Origin Protected) registration in the European Union as “Mozzarella di Bufala Campana”. Buffalo mozzarella is a stringy textured cheese with the porcelain-white colour typical of buffalo milk, and a very thin rind. It is typically shaped small and round, but is also produced in small bite-sized shapes and plaits. Mozzarella-like fresh cheeses are produced on the farm or in small scale industries in the vicinity of buffalo farms. Along with mozzarella are other products like tereccia, ricotta, crescenza, robiola, caciocavallo, butter and yoghurts.
Fresh mozzarella from buffalo milk is distinctly different from the industrial mozzarella produced from cow milk or mixed buffalo and cow milk. Buffalo mozzarella has a very short shelf life as it produced from natural yeasts and microbes. It has a maximum shelf life of about three to five days without refrigeration. This cheese is very soft and tasty, juicy and creamy. It is rich in milk and flavours and live yeasts and microbes which give it a distinctive taste. The industrial mozzarella which is frequently available in stores and supermarkets is made from cow milk or a combination of cow and buffalo milk. This mozzarella has a much longer shelf life of around 25 to 30 days under refrigeration. However this product is devoid of live yeast and microbes, and is less soft and not juicy. It is usually used in Italian cooking, especially for making pizzas and caprese. In countries like India and Pakistan where there is large scale production of buffalo milk, there is great potential for manufacturing cheeses like mozzarella and ricotta.
Cheese making has not such a strong tradition in India compared to the west. However soft cheeses have been prepared in India from time immemorial and paneer is one such cheese. There are products similar to paneer in several parts of the world, such as paneer-khiki in Iran, kareish in Egypt, armavir in the Western Caucasus, zsirpi in the Himalayas, feta in the Balkans and queso criollo, queso pais, and queso llanero in Latin America. Paneer is obtained through heat and acid coagulation of buffalo milk. A typical paneer is marble white in appearance, having a slightly spongy body, close-knit texture and a sweetish-acidic-nutty flavour. According to Indian standards it should contain a maximum of 70% moisture and a minimum of 50% fat in dry matter (Aneja et. al, 2002).
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