Niche vaccines, for sale in large-scale distribution, Vegan, lactose-free: the best Italian mozzarella for the summer selected by Gambero Rosso

Puglia, Campania, Molise first regions for quality. The gold medal for the best fiordilatte goes to Agerola. Ascoli piceno wins the podium for the best mozzarella distributed in large-scale distribution

It is the absolute protagonist of summer lunches and dinners but also of sandwiches to take to the sea or to the mountains, snacks to be eaten quickly: for years, Italian mozzarella has been experiencing a golden season which has made it famous also abroad and its popularity continues unabated. It is logical that the Gambero Rosso magazine has dedicated one of the cover stories of its latest issue to his majesty mozzarella, drawing up a new ranking, in blind tests, to sanction the best artisanal and industrial products with the "lighter versions" and those without lactose.

Granted that the southern regions Puglia, Campania, Molise undisputed area of tradition they confirm in first place for those niche vaccines, followed by Basilicata, Southern Lazio and Marche.

Il first place is won by Agricola Gentile of Agerola, (Naples) with its Fiordilatte and second by Fattoria Savoia di Roccabascerana (AV). Apulia also follows on the podium, with the bronze of the Delizia company and its Deliziosa. But Puglia also covers almost every other position in the top ten, confirming itself as one of the regions where it is easier to find high quality mozzarella. With one exception, the fifth place in Molise, with the triumph of Fiordilatte from the Trigno Dairy, in Trivento in the province of Campobasso.

Among the labels of the GDO stand out instead - writes the Gambero Rosso magazine - the mastery of historic Italian family companies expertly carried forward by the new generations and which, today, represent a real pride among the entrepreneurial excellence of Made in Italy: gold for Mastro Archimede – Sabelli Mozzarella Fiordilatte of Ascoli Piceno, since 1921 one of the most dynamic Italian dairy companies and, today, the Italian "third hub" of mozzarella; silver for the mozzarella di Manzi Giovanni since 1959 in Itri (LT), which the founder's younger son transformed from a shop into an entrepreneurial reality for the selection and distribution of cheeses and other foodstuffs (under his own brand and not); finally bronze for Nonno Nanni with his Mozzarella di Giavera del Montello (TV) with an excellent quality/price ratio and the only reality from the Triveneto region present in the standings.

to close, the best vegan mozzarella is the Bolognese one from the Dreamfarm start-up, entirely based on almonds, also used by brands such as Pizzium, while the best lactose-free mozzarella is BeneSì from Coop, and finally the best light is La Leggere Santa Lucia by Galbani.

The best niche vaccine mozzarella

1) Agricola Gentile – Fiordilatte di Agerola (NA), where the local cheesemakers fully interpret the company philosophy and produce an exceptional fiordilatte, using raw milk from grazing cows.

2) Fattoria Savoia – Fiordilatte, owned by brothers Francesco and Mara Savoia from Roccabascerana (AV): the mini-dairy uses only the milk of Italian red spotted cattle from its own breeding, kept in free stalls and grazing all year round, fed on grass fresh and hay.

3) Delicious of Delizia, of Noci (BA). The company produces traditional Apulian cheeses and among its specialties it boasts the Gioia del Colle Dop mozzarella which, as per the specification, is produced with local milk.

4) The Holland family with its Fiordilatte Mozzarella from Andria (BT), home of the burrata where, in addition to the celebrated Igp dairy product, the family dairy has been producing the classic regional stretched curd cheeses for 35 years.

5) Fiordilatte di Caseificio del Trigno di Trivento (CB), the emblem of the Molise vocation for dairy products and stretched curds that carries on the tradition using fresh milk collected daily in the area.

6) Posta La Via della Fattoria dell'Opera di Padre Pio Fiordilatte in San Giovanni Rotondo (FG), among the farms born thanks to the donations of the initiative linked to Padre Pio and his Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza.

7) Dairy Andriese Bontà Genuina Perina of Barletta (BT) which carries on its artisanal production, small but not very small, of dairy products and fresh stretched curds.

8) Gioiella Dairy Company – Capurso of Gioia del Colle (BA) ranks eighth with its Fiordilatte

9) Azienda Casearia Gioiella – Capurso di Gioia del Colle (BA) with the Gioia del Colle Dop mozzarella, produced according to the specification with local milk (Puglia and Basilicata) and native whey graft.

10) Fratelli Nuzzi, with their Mozzarella Fiordilatte, from Andria (BT): with over 40 years of experience in the transformation of milk, they produce fresh and seasoned stretched curds, from caciocavallo to burrata di Andria Igp, the flagship of the company.

The best in the GDO:

1) Mastro Archimede – Sabelli Mozzarella Fiordilatte of Ascoli Piceno, since 1921 has been one of the most dynamic Italian dairy companies and, today, the Italian “third pole” of mozzarella. He wins with the fiordilatte branded by the founder, “Mastro Archimede” Sabelli.

2) Mozzarella di Manzi Giovanni since 1959 in Itri (LT), which thanks to his younger son Salvatore from a dairy resale shop has become an entrepreneurial reality for the selection and distribution of cheeses and other foodstuffs (under its own brand and not).

3) Nonno Nanni with his Mozzarella di Giavera del Montello (TV) wins third place for the quality/price ratio. Historic family-run Venetian dairy, founded in 1947, is today a third-generation avant-garde company.

4) Fiordilatte di Vallelata, a Galbani brand and part of the Lactalis Italia Group, a holding company that manages an important brand portfolio in the dairy sector in Italy.

5 ex aequo) Fresh Mozzarella from Granarolo and “La Leggera” Santa Lucia from Galbani.

6 ex aequo) Conad with a mozzarella produced with Italian milk by the Veneto company Trevisanalat in Resana (TV), since 2016 in the Sabelli group, historic private label producer of Conad and Fiordilatte di Sabelli, historic family-run entrepreneurial reality in the Marche region, today fourth generation, with 3 plants in Italy and one in Slovenia.