Among Campania's buffalo dairy products there is one that always surprises us at the first cut: on the outside it looks like a small pasta filata cheese, but inside it hides a heart of butter. We are talking about burrino and buffalo burrata, two names for the same idea, born of a very practical need. Here is what they are and how to enjoy them.
What they are
Buffalo burrino and burrata are included in the list of Traditional Agri-food Products (PAT) of the Campania Region. The regional description defines them as a casing of pasta filata made from buffalo milk enclosing a ball of butter at its centre. The butter is made from the whey left over from cheesemaking: it is centrifuged and shaped into small balls, which are then sealed inside little pouches of pasta filata.
Be careful not to confuse it with the burrata better known outside the region, the one filled with stracciatella and cream: the traditional Campanian version described in the PAT listing really does have a butter heart.
Burrino or burrata? A matter of shape
The difference lies entirely in appearance. When the cheese is small with a little "head" it is called burrino; when it is large and completely round it becomes burrata. Shape and size can vary from one producer to another without the product losing its character. We love seeing them side by side on the counter: the burrino, with its little knot on top, looks like a miniature caciocavallo.
A preserve born of necessity
Why seal butter inside a cheese? The answer is an old one: it was a way to preserve butter for as long as possible without spoiling its flavour, at a time when there were no refrigerators. The pasta filata acted as a protective casing and made it possible to transport and store a precious ingredient. It is the same practical spirit we find in so many products of the farming and pastoral traditions of southern Italy.
Where it comes from and how to enjoy it
The regional listing names the provinces of Naples, Salerno and Caserta as the production area, the same areas where buffaloes are raised for mozzarella. Think of the Volturno plain around Caserta and the Sele plain between Battipaglia and Capaccio Paestum.
Burrino is usually eaten fresh, sliced and spread on toasted bread: the butter at its heart melts into the pasta filata, and the result is soft and full of flavour. Tradition pairs it with young red wines. We suggest trying it just like that, simply, perhaps after a visit to the local dairies, to really taste the contrast between pasta filata and butter.
Where to taste it and what is nearby
The places to look for it are buffalo country: the countryside around Caserta, the Sele plain between Battipaglia and Eboli, and the area around Capaccio Paestum. If you are interested in the world of buffalo dairy products, also read our guides to Mozzarella di bufala campana DOP and Ricotta di bufala campana and, for an overview, our guide to Campania's DOP and IGP products. If you love pasta filata cheeses, we also recommend Provolone del Monaco DOP and Caciocavallo Silano DOP.
Top photo (Caserta): Miguel Hermoso Cuesta, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
