WHERE THE BUFFALO (DON'T) ROAM

After making several trips to Citta di Castello to buy fresh mozzarello di bufalo, someone mentioned that there was a farm just outside of San Venanzo with water buffaloes, and therefore, fresh mozzarella di bufalo cheese. Somehow weeks passed and we never took the short drive towards Ospedaletto to check it out. We'd been told to turn right on the road just before the bar, and after that, just keep our eyes open!

Finally, mostly thanks to our friends from Canada being here, we decided to drive up the SS317 and see if we could return home with some cheese. As we approached the road, we stopped to ask some people waiting for the bus if they knew where...or even if, the farm was. Unfortunately they were only tourists, so we stopped at the bar to see if the farm did exist, and to get more specific directions.

The barrista didn't know anything about a water buffalo farm, so after a quick coffee we decided to go back home. If the bartender didn't know about the farm, it surely doesn't exist. Never one to give up, Art saw someone we knew from San Venanzo pull into the parking lot, and asked him about the farm. No, this man didn't know anything about it either, and believe me, in a place this small, if there was a water buffalo farm turning out fresh cheeses, everyone would know about it.

I guess for now we'll resign ourselves to buying our mozzarella cheese at the weekly market, at least when we want the really good stuff with fresh, delicious summer tomatoes. Of course we can always find a variety of mozzarella cheeses in the grocery store, and believe me, none of it, even the least expensive, tastes a million times bettter than that rubbery, flavorless stuff they mass-market in the states!