Buffalo mozzarella (; ) is a mozzarella made from the milk of Italian Mediterranean buffalo. It is a dairy product traditionally manufactured in Campania, especially in the provinces of Caserta and Salerno. The term mozzarella derives from the procedure called mozzare which means "cutting by hand", separating from the curd, and serving in individual pieces, that is, the process of separation of the curd into small balls. It is appreciated for its versatility and elastic texture and often called "the queen of the Mediterranean cuisine", "white gold" or "the pearl of the table". The buffalo mozzarella sold as mozzarella di bufala campana has been granted the status of denominazione di origine controllata (DOC – "controlled designation of origin") since 1993. Since 1996 it is also registered as an EU and UK protected designation of origin (Italian: DOP) product. The protected origin appellation requires that it may only be produced with a traditional recipe in select locations in the regions of Campania, Lazio, Puglia, and Molise. Areas of production In Italy, the cheese is produced nationwide using Italian buffalo milk under the government's official name mozzarella di latte di bufala because Italian buffalo are found in all Italian regions. Only the specific type mozzarella di bufala campana PDO is produced in the area reaching from Rome in Lazio to Paestum near Salerno in Campania, and there are also production areas in the province of Foggia, in Puglia, and in Venafro, Molise. Buffalo mozzarella is a €300m ($330m) per year industry in Italy, which produces around 33,000 tonnes of it every year, with 16 percent sold abroad (mostly in the European Union). France and Germany are the main importers, but sales to Japan and Russia are growing. Apart from in Italy, its birthplace, buffalo mozzarella is manufactured in many other countries around the world. There are producers in Switzerland, the United States, Australia, Mexico, Brazil, Canada, China, Japan, Venezuela, Argentina, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Sweden, Colombia, Thailand, Israel, Egypt, India and South Africa, all using milk from their own herds of water buffaloes. Mozzarella di bufala campana Buffalo mozzarella from Campania bears the trademark "mozzarella di bufala campana". In 1993, it was granted denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) status, and in 1996, the trademark received the registry number 1107/96 and in 2008 the European Union granted protected geographical status and the DOP designation. The Consorzio per la Tutela del Formaggio di