Meat
Buffalo
Water buffalo meat is a lean red meat from Bubalus bubalis, common in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and parts of the Mediterranean and South America. It is darker and often leaner than beef, with a mild flavour suited to curries, stews, steaks, and dried products depending on cut and age. Distinct from American bison (often called buffalo colloquially), water buffalo is a separate species with its own husbandry and culinary traditions.
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History
Water buffalo were domesticated in South Asia for draft power, milk, and meat.
Buffalo husbandry spread through Southeast Asia and into the Middle East and Mediterranean for rice agriculture and dairy.
Italian buffalo dairying flourished for mozzarella di bufala; meat from males and cull animals entered regional cookery.
Export interest in lean buffalo meat grew alongside dairy buffalo industries worldwide.