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["Lynda" <lurine AT softcom.net>]

Well, Marie, I'm not going to argue with you about your opinions on most of 
this.  However, I'll go with the opinion of the folks I learned to cook from 
and the relatives who would disagree with your opinion on what is the best 
mozzarella.  Now, since they are all from Italy, I'm thinking perhaps they 
would know a bit more about it.  And perhaps it is a regional thing. 
Although, they're from different, very different, parts of Italy.  Oh well, 
I do know the sheep milk motz I've had is delicious.  Although, the goat 
milk motz we've made wasn't half bad either <g>

As to the water buffalo, there are records of a similar cheese made in India 
in the 7th century.  Of course, since mozzarella is an Italian word, it 
would have been called something else.  the water buffalo in Italy probably 
arrived via Greece as there are records of the beasty in Greece long before 
the records of water buffalo mozzarella in Italy in the 18th century.  Then 
again, they may have come down from the Balkans since there are some large 
water buffalo dairies in Bulgaria.  Italy was "over run" and ruled by many 
people over its long history.

Now, as to sheep dairies.  I would posit that the problem is the people 
running them.  Sheep are peculiar creatures and I wouldn't think they'd do 
too well in the U.S.'s idea of how a dairy should be done.  I wouldn't think 
they'd like the bright lights, the stainless steel, the cement, the noise, 
etc.  Sheep don't "do" hurry, hurry, rush, rush very well.  The pictures 
I've seen of the ones that DH's relatives sent pictures of were old stucco 
like buildings and were more natural light and the folks handling the sheep 
reminded me of the Basque folks up in the Sierras.  Just a thought.

Lynda
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Marie McHarry" <mmcharry AT gmail.com>


> > In Sicily and parts of Italy, lots of the cheese is from sheep.  The best
> > mozzarella is sheep milk!
>
> No, actually, it's from buffalo milk. I'm not sure how buffao ended up
> in Italy (not bison but, I'm guessing, water buffalo). There was once
> a dairy in Louisiana doing buffalo milk and mozzarella. Not sure if
> they're still there.