Liuzzi Cheese, with roots tracing back five generations to 1826 in Puglia, Italy, has been crafting fresh Italian-style cheeses in Connecticut since 1981. Their commitment to the old-world art of fresh cheesemaking is evident in every bite. Their handmade lineup — including pillowy fresh mozzarella, silky burrata, rich ricotta, and smoky scamorza — represents the best of southern Italian pasta filata tradition, Liuzzimarket, made with fresh local milk and time-honored technique. These are cheeses meant to be enjoyed quickly and simply: draped over a ripe tomato, torn over warm bread, or eaten straight from the paper with a little olive oil and sea salt. If you've ever wondered what truly fresh mozzarella tastes like, Liuzzi is your answer.

Mozzarella di Bufala, made from the milk of Italian water buffalo, is the original, the gold standard — a fresh cheese so extraordinary that it earned its own protected designation of origin in Italy. Where cow's milk mozzarella is mild and milky, buffalo milk brings a richer, tangier, more complex flavor with a porcelain-white color and a yielding, slightly springy texture that releases a pool of fresh whey when you cut into it. Pair with ripe heirloom tomatoes, fresh basil, a generous pour of grassy extra virgin olive oil, and nothing else — this is one of those cheeses that needs no improvement, only good ingredients alongside it.

Pair it with: Crusty bread.

Use it: This cheese is perfect for a fresh caprese salad or on a wood fired pizza.