FATTORIA PAGLIUCA
We wanted to visit Fattoria Pagliuca for a few months, ie from the publication of the guide The Cheeses of Italy of L’Espresso.
In the volume, infatti, Fattoria Pagliuca was the company with the best score for both Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP than for the Ricotta di Bufala Campana PDO.
So we took advantage of the event Dairies Agricultural Open Day to go to the discovery of this Campania dairy reality.
Fattoria Pagliuca is located in Alvignano, in the Middle Volturno, in a very green and free of contamination territory.
Here the Pagliuca family has been raising cattle for generations - first cows, then only buffaloes -, but it was only a few years ago that it was decided to also add milk processing.
The company is independent from an energy point of view thanks to the use of photovoltaic solar panels and thermal solar panels for hot water.
The stables can hold up to 300 head of cattle; spotless, are scraped continuously.
The buffaloes eat their own hay and ground flours on the farm, plus flaxseed for the fat and small amounts of corn (purchased outside and GMO free).
The hay is stored in a ventilated barn, to avoid the formation of mold.
No feed is used (therefore the flavor of the milk is not diluted), nor anything that could stimulate milk production.
At the moment the company is experimenting with grazing. There are 50 continuous grazing animals, to which the available piece of land is changed every day.
Thanks to these optimal conditions, Fattoria Pagliuca milk is of high quality and rich in proteins.
They make mozzarella and buffalo ricotta from Campania DOP (the company is a member of both protection consortia), dry buffalo ricotta (ideal for grating), primo sale, scamorzine, buffalo stracchino with vegetable rennet and yogurt. Periodically some experimentation with a flowery crust peeps out.
Tasting, the mozzarella di bufala - raw milk - it is rather tenacious to the bite, with minimal fluid loss. The taste is very pleasant, with strong aromas of cream, butter and hay.
A special mention deserves the smoked straw mozzarella, with a non-invasive scent and a delicate taste.
La ricotta is "old fashioned", not homogenized and therefore with a pleasantly grainy texture.
It is used to fill excellent cannoli, on sale at the company shop.
On the occasion of the Dairy Open Day event, it was possible to taste the products of Fattoria Pagliuca together with those of another local company, Noble Roots.
Jams, excellent jams and accompanying sauces, prepared with techniques able to maintain the taste and characteristics of the fruit and to use as little sugar as possible (in the cherry jam it reaches 82% of fruit e 18% of sugar).
Only fresh seasonal fruit is processed, fruit purees are not used, right pectin, nor preservatives.
The eye-catching packaging is totally plastic free and also processed in the company.
Fattoria Pagliuca has two other stores, a Caserta e a San Leucio; available, as well as own dairy products and cheeses, also local products.
For dessert lovers, panna cotta, puddings and buffalo crème caramel under the Fattoria Pagliuca brand.
Fattoria Pagliuca Agricultural Dairy
Via San Giacomo, 6 – Alvignano, Caserta
such. 0823/869394
http://fattoriapagliuca.com/
Agricultural dairies
www.caseificiagricoli.it/
Noble Roots
Via Piave, 1 Campagnola – Marzano Appio, Caserta
such. 333/7957377
www.nobiliradici.it/
L’edizione 2019 of Open Day Agricultural Dairies: https://allassaggio.it/caseifici-agricoli-open-day-2019/