‘Real heritage and quality’: the best (and worst) supermarket mozzarella di bufala Campana, tasted and rated

Mozzarella di bufala Campana with Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status is an incredible cheese from the marshy, volcanic regions of Campania in southern Italy.

Buffaloes are hardy creatures that are more suited than cows to these wetlands, and they produce a fatty, calcium-rich, protein-filled milk that gives the mozzarella its classic soft and creamy texture, porcelain-white colour and perfectly balanced, clean and flavoursome lactic tang. It’s minimally processed, too, being made with 100% buffalo milk and rennet that’s required to be made in the same micro-region to qualify as PDO (or DOP in Italian).

The manufacturing process involves fusing the curds with hot water, which makes them stretchy and creates the elongated, layered curd structure that defines mozzarella; too much hot water, over-acidification or an old product can lead to a grainy texture. It’s always best eaten as fresh as possible, so look for one with a long shelf-life to be sure it’s fresh and of the best texture and quality.

I’ve scored these cheeses on appearance, texture, flavour, freshness and value, and they all have good provenance and a generally high overall quality. Though they vary greatly in price, texture (from grainy to stretchy, with elongated and layered curds) and flavour (clean, lactic and milky to funky, microbial with notes of hay), all were utterly delicious. In fact, this test shows supermarkets at their best, efficiently importing and supplying fresh products with real heritage and quality.

The best supermarket mozzarella di bufala

Best overall:
Garofalo mozzarella di bufala DOP

★★★★☆

A perfectly formed, firm mozzarella with super-soft, creamy and stretchy curds and classic, porcelain colour. Less funky than most, but with a really satisfying, very clean and mild hay-like flavour.

Best bargain:
Aldi Specially Selected mozzarella di bufala Campana PDO

★★★★☆

A soft ball, made by Fattorie Garofalo, with a loose texture, a soft but chewy bite, and clean, lactic and nicely musky, water buffalo-dairy flavour. Incredible value.

And the rest …

Waitrose No 1 mozzarella di bufala Campana DOP

★★★★☆

Made by the dairy La Contadina, in operation since 1950, this has a really creamy and rich centre with stretchy curds and a noticeably sour, tangy and funky flavour. My best splurge.

Tesco Finest mozzarella di bufala Campana PDO

★★★☆☆

A firm, strong-skinned ball of soft cheese with a creamy texture and grainy curds. Squeaky on the teeth, and a classic, sour lactic twang.

Morrisons the Best mozzarella di bufala Campana PDO

★★★☆☆

A plump, firm cheese with a tight skin and loose, milky insides. A clean but deep and rich lactic-sour flavour, and a clear and flavourful brine.

Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference mozzarella di bufala Campana DOP

★★★☆☆

A plump, round ball with a firm skin. Slightly milky and waterlogged inside, this has a rather short and grainy curd structure, but a good, strong umami flavour and sour tang.

Marks & Spencer mozzarella di bufala Campana DOP

★★☆☆☆

A firm, tight ball with a thin skin and a slightly grainy and short texture. Squeaky, with a clean, lactic flavour and ever-so-slight bitterness; a lovely clear and sweet brine, too, but I expect better quality for this price.

Lidl Deluxe mozzarella di bufala Campana DOP

Photograph: Tom Hunt/The Guardian

★★☆☆☆

A very soft ball with loose skin, slightly mushy texture and no stretchy curds. But it has a chewy bite with a deliciously funky dairy flavour, and a very milky and sour lactic brine.

Galbani mozzarella di latte di bufala

★☆☆☆☆

A small, firm ball made by a heritage producer since 1882. The skin is mixed, firm in parts and soft in others, as is the texture, with elongated curds and softer, more grainy parts. A milky brine, and a clean but characteristically sour flavour, but inconsistent considering it’s the most expensive cheese in the test.

For more, read the best supermarket brie, tasted and rated