[SCA-AE] Are water buffalo period? (WAS Re: Medieval Munchies)

[Katja]

Actually, I have read several modern sources that argue Asian water buffalo were brought to Italy and used for dairy production during our period of study.  
 
It's reasonable, since mozzarella, currently the most obvious and common use for their milk, definitely dates to our period of study, and the sources I've read say water buffalo milk was used instead of cow milk, just as it are used today in parts of Italy.
 
I'm away from my library right now and I don't trust Wikipedia for documenting historical dates... so I can't verify this off the top of my head.  I'm pretty sure I can look this up in Alan Davidson's Oxford Companion on Food tonight and get back to you.

Mmmmmmmm. Fresh water buffalo mozz.... Nom nom nom.

Katja
--- On Wed, 7/28/10, Erin Kelly <erinkpgh at gmail.com> wrote:


>>Buffalo and buffalo milk mozzerella are available in gourmet shops. They're
farmed. My in-laws use ground buffalo quite frequently as a lower fat beef
substitute.

Definitely new world, though, right?