Helen Dorresteyn and her husband Richard were the first people to farm buffalo in New Zealand.
Ten years on, her Clevedon Buffalo Company is winning multiple awards for its buffalo cheese.
Helen joins Jesse Mulligan to talk buffalo and shares a recipe for buffalo cheese salad.
Marinated buffalo cheese salad Photo: supplied/Cleveland Buffalo Co
So why buffalo?
For a point of difference, Helen says.
"We needed cheese for our farmers market in Clevedon so it was obvious because sheep and cows milk cheeses were being done well [already] so we thought 'why not buffalo?'"
So they tracked down a mob in Australia's Northern Territory and flew them in.
"Sixty head altogether in big purpose-built crates."
Helen and Richard Dorresteyn Photo: Supplied
They then spent three years perfecting their craft.
"Buffalo milk is more delicate than cows' milk. To make a good mozzarella is quite something. We made it for about three years before we even released the cheese because it had to be perfect. We had to be as good as the Italian cheeses."
In this buffalo cheese salad, Helen uses marinated fresh buffalo cheese.
"We primarily make fresh cheeses because the flavour of the buffalo milk is so delicate you don't want to overdo it by ageing.
"It's very creamy but we've managed to, by a process of draining it, keep it in small squares, which we can then put in a jar and marinate.
"You can put it on top of your salad and it will dress right through your salad and give it a lovely creamy consistency. It's really nice on roast vegetables and very nice on pasta and also straight on to a cracker."
