Kim G.
Yelp
As they say, great cheese comes from happy cows - or in this case, very happy buffalos! At Tenuta Vannulo they pamper their Buffalo cows with twice daily baths, revolving massage machines available all day, comfy beds of hay, and classical music piped in.
The buffalo are kept in open areas where they munch on hay, roam or rest. And when the buffalos sense their udders are full, they walk over to a self milking machine where their magnetic collar identifies them and their milk is bumped. Incredible! All of this results in equally incredible end products.
After witnessing the technology and obvious respect and care given to the animals, plus watching workers make fresh mozzarella, we had lunch.
We sat at a long table surrounded by olive trees and bougainvillea. First was a ricotta crepe, so light and delicious. Then came a Caprese salad with the brightest, sweetest cherry tomatoes I have ever had and the freshest Buffalo mozzarella. It was creamy and indescribably good. Divine comes to mind! Even the olive oil came from their trees and it was fantastic, it had a peppery finish which I prefer. I wanted to buy a few bottles but they were sold out for the season.
Next came fresh yogurt. At first I was going to pass because it didn't seem to go with the meal but when my friends started moaning in delight I had to give it a try. It was the best yogurt I have ever had anywhere. Creamy, rich but not too filling. OMG. if I lived in Salerno I would eat their yogurt everyday.
We then went to the market and cafe and had heavenly gelato and cappuccino. We had already had quite a bit of gelato in Sorrento, Naples and Capri and so we weren't expecting something so good that it made the other gelatos that we thought were sublime, seem mediocre. Dang!
Unfortunately we can't have any of these delicious Buffalo milk products again unless we come back to Salerno. Tanuta Vannulo doesn't sell outside of their town. They make enough to sell every day, never selling day old products, so they make what those in the town use and that's it. They believe in selling the freshest products and after tasting several, I understand their philosophy and standards. Residents and business owners buy everyday, as evident by the lines, and when the product is gone, they close.
The market also had some baked goods like my favorite ricotta cheese cake, sfogiatelle and cannoli but I was so full that I couldn't have another bite!
Lastly, we visited their leather shop. Because they believe in using everything, when the male Buffalo are used for meat, their hides are tanned and they make a variety of leather goods, not a lot, but what they had were expertly crafted. They had a backpack, a few totes, a shoulder bag, a small cross body, wallets and some mens travel bags In various shades of brown. I bought a small, tan, crossbody bag and some soap, made from the Buffalo fat.
Our overall experience here was just fabulous! A highlight of an incredible trip to southern Italy where every day was as good or better than the previous.
The ride from Sorrento was about 90 minutes and very enjoyable. The destination, tour and lunch all totally worth it!
