Buffalo mozzarella is a fresh, soft, semi-elastic textured cheese belonging to the "pasta filata" family. The process of making pastas filata cheese includes heating the curd to a point where it can be stretched and formed into various shapes. This gives the snowy white mozzarella a mild, yet slightly sour, taste. Soft, moist and somewhat granular, it is coated in an edible rind, brined for up to a week.