Buffalos enjoy spa treatment at Vannulo dairy farm
PAESTUM -- By 8 o' clock in the morning, customers's cars are already heading down the narrow road lined with towering cypresses to take their place in the queue at the door of the dairy at the Vannulo Buffalo Mozzarella Farm, Capaccio, near Paestum in Cilento (Campania).
By 10, the day's supply of fresh mozzarella cheese is finished. Struggling to keep pace with demand, the company has had to limit over the counter sales to 5 kgs per person per day.
The fame of Vannulo mozzarella has boomed since it has been nominated one of the “eccellenze” in the list of Campania regional food products, and has been scooping top prizes in successive blind tastings by “Il Gambero Rosso”, Italy's leading gourmet authority.
Quite an achievement for a farm built on a piece of what was once derelict and malaria infested marshland – part of the infamous swamps that a century ago flanked much of the Italian Mediterranean coast, from Tuscany to Naples and beyond. The farm's name, in fact, has nothing to do with the name of the proprietor, Antonio Palmieri, whose forefather took over this unpromising bit of land in 1907, referring to it ironically as “Vannulo,” or “Worth Nothing” in local dialect.
The draining of these marshes, undertaken by the Fascist government at the beginning of last century, transformed most of the area into productive farm and grazing land, with the kind of warm, moist conditions ideally suited to the needs of the water-loving Bubalus bubalis (the Mediterranean buffalo).
The first owners, Antono and Margherita Palmieiri, would have trouble recognizing their bit of “worthless” farmland today. The byres and the dairy stand in well-groomed gardens, full of flowers and shady trees, with cafe and restaurant serving “tasters” of mozzarella by products, like icecream, chocolate spread, cream cakes and yoghurt (the farm prides itself on being the first to launch mozzarella yoghurt, which has quickly become a best-seller). In seasons when the milk yield is high, the company transforms some of the excess into other cheeses such as provolone (smoked mozzarella) and caciocavallo (a mozzarella ball tied at the top and hung from a beam to solidify).
The transformation of the farm into an ultra-modern enterprise has been achieved largely thanks to the vision of the third generation Palmieri (also called Antonio) who converted the property into a specialized Caseficio (dairy farm) in 1988, with subsequent certified organic status and run according to the most modern concepts of animal welfare.
The new generation of the Palmieri family - Teresa, Nicola and Annelisa (all university graduates) - work with their father and their mother Caterina on the family estate to sustain their chosen model of sustainable and ethical efficiency.
The family is convinced that the exceptionally high quality of Vannulo products depends on having well-cared for and contented animals and no expense or effort has been spared to achieve this end. The Vannulo water buffalos are prima donnas, accustomed to the best. They eat only organic fodder, grown on the estate. Any health problems are treated exclusively with homeopathc remedies. They have high roofed airy byres, where they can wander around freely on floors that are kept constantly clean with an automatic flush water system. They present themselves spontaneously for milking at their computer-monitorized Swedish DeVal automatic milking machines. When they are tired they can repose at will on thick latex mattresses to the soothing strains of Mozart, Chopin and Beethoven and they can queue up, like ladies at a beauty parlour, for a head massage from revolving straw bails.
As we walk up the aisle flanking the food troughs piled with hay, a hundred curious heads lift to follow our progress. The Mediterranean water buffalo is a naturally placid creature, used mainly in the past for ploughing and clearing ditches thanks to its bulk and muscle power. Close up, the animals can seem formidable. An average female weighs 450 kgs. Males are even bigger and more powerful, weighing 500-600 kilos or more. In additon, both males and females sport a formidable pair of horns with a 1.5 m spread.
The farm keeps a herd of 600 buffalos, not all of which are in production at the same time. The cows are not inseminated artificially, as is common practice on most dairy farms, but a herd of a dozen bulls does the job as Nature intended. Each bull serves 25 cows, which calve once a year and the calves in turn take around three years to reach maturity.
A water buffalo cow produces on average 4.5 litres of milk each day and it takes 10 litres of milk to make 2.7 kilos of mozzarella. A demonstration of mozzarella-making is part of a guided tour round the premises. Mozzarella di Bufaloundergoes a long and complicated process that can take an aspiring casaro a year's apprendiship to perfect. The raw milk comes direct from the byre and is subjected to various processes during which it separates into solid curds and liquid whey. The curd is submerged in near boiling water to transform it into the semi-solid, elastic material that is subsequently moulded into the cheese. Long strands are fished out by the operator with his bare hands. The skill lies in the ability to simultaneously cut and mould a piece of this solidifying curd into the classic round shape with a quick twist of his thumb and index finger.
It can be a surprise to learn that mozzarella has been around for a long time. It is known to have been produced by the monks of the Monastery of San Lorenzo at Capua near Naples as early as the 12th century. The name “Mozzarella” appears officially for the first time in a document by the papal court cook dated 1570. The name, in fact, comes from “mozzare”, or “to cut”.
A commodity much in demand among the rich and powerful of Salerno and Naples, it became more widely available towards the end of the 18th century, thanks to the ruling Bourbon royal family, who set up an experimental dairy at the Royal Palace of Cardatello on the Caserta royal estate.
A part of the estate tour comprises the Museo della Civilta Contadino, (Museum of Rural Life) with a collection of farm implements and memorabilia, set up by the Palmieri family in homage to their peasant roots. Next to the small but compact museum is a leather laboratory where skins purchased from the celebrated leather distretto at Santa Croce sull'Arno, near Florence, are converted into exclusive handbags, notecases and wallets, designed by Dolce & Gabbano designer Roberto Ricci.
The Palmieri family do not slaughter their animals when their productive life is finished, but sell them on where they will eventually meet the inevitable fate of all farm animals worldwide – but at least after they have enjoyed a rare and exclusive life of loving care!
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