Do You Know Where Your Mozzarella Comes From?

 

The Palmieri family near Paestum has run Tenuta Vannulo, an agricultural business, since the early 1900s. Today there is a buffalo farm with an impressive mozzarella production onsite. There are 600 buffalo and the main focus is on the well-being of the animals. They are bred with care, allowed to roam freely, treated with homeopathic remedies, and their life is made very comfortable.

 

There are very popular and interesting daily tours of the farm, mozzarella tasting included. I was surprised by the taste of the cheese as it is so different from the mozzarella I knew: much more firm, because extremely fresh, more „milky“, very delicate. I regret that we do not find this type of mozzarella in the stores abroad.

 

Mozzarella making seemed a rhythmic and unhurried work process to me: 2 people gently tear apart, or "cut off" (mozzare in Italian) piece by piece. Beautiful and almost meditative to watch. All of their excellent mozzarella is sold at the farm shop.

 

Tenuta Vannulo has a mozzarella and a yoghurt shop, a leather shop, a tasting room, a chocolate shop, a bakery, and a museum.

Tours with or without lunch can be booked ahead of time.

Please see my reports on Ancient Greek Ruins Paestum and Osteria Arbustico Paestum, both nearby.