I don’t know which brave soul was the first to think ‘hmmm, if I can just get close enough to that giant, long-horned beast to milk it, I could probably make a really delicious cheese…’, but their instinct proved right.

Those of you who are fans of buffalo mozzarella will know what I am talking about – buffalo milk has a unique flavour that you can’t quite get enough of: incredibly full and creamy, slightly sweet with a subtle hint of something like moss or freshly cut grass.

While mozzarella is probably the best-known buffalo cheese (and I’m talking about the real Italian mozzarella here), buffalo milk can be used to make all types of cheese, even blue vein and brie.

After falling in love with Quattro Portoni’s range of farmhouse buffalo cheese, I decided to pay a visit to their farm and dairy in Lombardy, Italy and learn more about their unique cheeses.

Even though their style of cheese-making is quite innovative, their inspiration comes from the traditional styles of cheese that Lombardy is famous for, including Taleggio and Gorgonzola. It was interesting to hear how long it had taken them to successfully adapt recipes for traditional cow’s milk cheese to work for buffalo milk – up to 2 years of trials for their signature blue vein, Blu di Bufala.

All in all, it’s been a long labour of love for the Gritti family, but it’s a bet that’s sure to pay off as cheese-lovers around the world discover the delights of buffalo milk cheese.