Bushra Griffith
Fontina cheese, with its distinctive earthy, mushroomy, and woody taste, is often mistaken for Swiss cheese due to its texture and appearance. Fontina is a semi-hard, Italian-style cow's milk cheese with a rich and creamy texture and a nutty, buttery flavour. It has small holes in the body, similar to Swiss cheese, and is particularly good for melting, making it a popular choice for grilled cheese sandwiches, baked pasta, and paninis.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of Milk | Cow's milk |
| Origin | Italy |
| Texture | Semi-soft to hard |
| Flavor | Mild to medium-sharp, nutty, buttery |
| Color | Pale cream |
| Rind | Tan to orange-brown |
| Melting | Melts smoothly |
| Production | Italy, United States, Denmark, Sweden, Canada, France, Argentina |
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What You'll Learn
Fontina is a semi-soft Italian cow's milk cheese
Fontina is a very versatile cheese and is commonly paired with truffles or meat. It can be used in dishes such as pasta, pizza, or arancini, or in chicken valdostano or cheesy polenta. Fontina is also an excellent melting cheese, making it a popular choice for grilled cheese sandwiches, casseroles, and paninis. When melted, it has a luxuriously smooth and creamy texture with a good amount of stretch.
The firmness of Fontina cheese depends on its maturity. Young Fontina is semi-soft, while mature Fontina is a hard cheese. The cheese has a natural rind that develops over time, ranging in colour from tan to orange-brown. The interior of the cheese is pale cream and riddled with small holes, similar to those found in Swiss cheese. These holes are known as "eyes".
Fontina cheese has a distinct earthy, mushroomy, and woody taste, with a mellow finish. Its flavour becomes more nutty as it ages. Fontina pairs well with bitey foods and drinks, such as pesto, roasted red peppers, salami, and strawberries. It is also often used in fondue, where it is whipped with milk, eggs, and truffles.
While Fontina originated in Italy, it is now produced worldwide, including in the United States, Denmark, Sweden, Canada, France, and Argentina. The flavour and texture of Fontina can vary depending on the region it is produced in, with Swedish, Danish, and American Fontina having a milder flavour and softer texture than their Italian counterpart.
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It has a rich, buttery, nutty flavour
Fontina is a semi-hard Italian-style cow's milk cheese with a rich, buttery, nutty flavour. It is often described as having a creamy texture and a sweet and pungent taste, with subtle tones of butter and roasted nuts. Fontina cheese originated in Italy and is traditionally made from milk taken from cows in the Aosta Valley, an Alpine region in the northwest of Italy.
The characteristic flavour of fontina is creamy and mild but distinctively savoury and nutty, with the nuttiness increasing with aging. Fontina has a milk fat content of around 45%. The texture of fontina can range from semi-soft to hard, depending on its maturity. Young fontina cheese is semi-soft, while fully matured fontina is a hard cheese. Despite being a hard cheese, mature fontina still melts well, making it a popular choice for melting and dishes such as grilled cheese sandwiches, gooey baked pastas, cheesy mashed potatoes, breakfast casseroles, and paninis.
Fontina cheese is known for its earthy, mushroomy, and woody taste, and it pairs well with roast meats and truffles. It is commonly used in Italian dishes such as pasta, pizza, arancini, and chicken valdostano. Fontina can also be whipped with milk, eggs, and truffles to create a traditional fondue dish called "Fonduta alla valdostana" in Italian or "Fondue à la valdôtaine" in French.
The colour of fontina can vary from pale yellow to pale cream, and it is often riddled with small holes or "eyes". The rind of fontina is typically tan to orange-brown, although some varieties may have a red wax rind. Fontina produced in the EU can be identified by a consortium stamp of the Matterhorn, including the script "FONTINA".
Fontina cheese has been produced in the Aosta Valley, in the Alps, since the 12th century. Over time, the production of fontina has spread worldwide, including to the United States, Denmark, Sweden, Canada, France, and Argentina. Fontina from Sweden, Denmark, and the United States tends to have a milder flavour, softer texture, and more holes than those produced in Italy.
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Fontina is a good melting cheese
Fontina is a semi-hard Italian cheese made from cow's milk. It has a rich, creamy texture and a nutty, buttery flavour. Fontina is a good melting cheese, and it is often used in grilled cheese sandwiches, gooey baked pasta, cheesy mashed potatoes, casseroles, and paninis. Its ability to melt well makes it a popular choice for hot dishes. Fontina can also be baked with olive oil and herbs and served as a dip for bread.
Fontina has a milk fat content of around 45%. The cheese is characterised by its creamy, mild, savoury, and nutty flavour, with the nuttiness increasing as it ages. Fontina cheese has been produced in the Aosta Valley in the Alps since the 12th century. The cheese has a natural rind due to aging, which is usually tan to orange-brown. The interior of the cheese is pale cream in colour and is riddled with holes known as "eyes".
Fontina is commonly paired with truffles or meat. It can be combined with truffles in pasta, pizza, or arancini, or used in chicken valdostano or cheesy polenta with beef stew. Fontina is also suitable for fondue, as its soft texture allows it to melt well. A traditional dish is Fonduta alla valdostana, where fontina is whipped with milk, eggs, and truffles.
Fontina is similar to Gruyere cheese, which is also a popular melting cheese. Both cheeses have a buttery, nutty taste and a similar appearance, with a pale cream colour, dark rind, and interior holes. However, Fontina has a more orange-brown or tan rind, and the number and size of the holes can vary depending on the region where it is produced.
Overall, Fontina is a versatile and delicious cheese that is well-loved for its melting properties and unique flavour. Its ability to enhance various dishes makes it a popular choice for cooks and cheese enthusiasts alike.
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It is pale yellow in colour
Fontina cheese is a pale yellow or cream colour. It is a semi-soft Italian cheese made from cow's milk, with a rich and creamy texture and a nutty, buttery flavour. It is similar in appearance to Swiss cheese, with small holes in the body. Fontina has been produced in the Aosta Valley in the Italian Alps since the 12th century, although it is now also made in several other countries, including Sweden, Denmark, the United States, and Argentina.
The colour of Fontina cheese can vary slightly depending on its age and the specific variety. For example, Aostan fontina, a variety of Fontina produced in the Aosta Valley, has a natural rind that develops an orange-brown colour due to aging. In contrast, the interior of the cheese is typically a pale cream colour. Other varieties of Fontina may have a darker rind, ranging from gold to brown, or even a red wax rind.
The pale yellow or cream colour of Fontina is a result of the cheese-making process and the type of milk used. Fontina is traditionally made from unpasteurized cow's milk, which has a naturally pale yellow tint. The milk is then heated and curdled, and the curds are pressed and shaped into cheese wheels. The cheese is then aged, which can affect the final colour of the rind.
The colour of Fontina cheese can also vary depending on the region or country of production. For example, Fontina produced in Sweden, Denmark, and the United States tends to have a milder flavour, softer texture, and more holes than those produced in Italy. The colour of the cheese may also be influenced by the specific type of cow's milk used, as well as the diet of the cows and the characteristics of the local environment.
The pale yellow or cream colour of Fontina cheese is an important characteristic that helps distinguish it from other types of cheese. While Fontina may be similar in appearance to Swiss cheese, its unique colour, texture, and flavour set it apart. Fontina's colour is also a result of its traditional production methods and the high-quality milk used, making it a valued and distinctive cheese variety.
In conclusion, the pale yellow or cream colour of Fontina cheese is an important aspect of this Italian cheese variety. Its colour is a result of the traditional cheese-making process, the use of high-quality cow's milk, and the aging process. The colour of Fontina can vary slightly depending on its age, variety, and region of production, but it is always a distinctive and valued characteristic of this delicious and versatile cheese.
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Fontina originated in the Aosta Valley, Italy
Fontina cheese, known for its rich, nutty, and silky-smooth flavour, is a semi-hard Italian cheese made from cow's milk. It is characterised by a creamy and mild yet savoury flavour, with distinct nuttiness that increases with aging. With a milk fat content of around 45%, Fontina has a soft texture when young and becomes harder as it matures. The cheese is riddled with holes known as "eyes", and its rind is typically tan to orange-brown due to aging.
Fontina cheese originated in the Aosta Valley, an Alpine region in the northwest of Italy, and has been produced there since the 12th century. The name "Fontina" is derived from the French word "fontine". While Fontina originated in Italy, production has since spread worldwide, including to the United States, Denmark, Sweden, Canada, France, and Argentina.
Fontina's versatility extends beyond its melting capabilities, as it pairs well with various ingredients. It is commonly combined with truffles or meat, enhancing dishes such as pasta, pizza, or arancini. For meat lovers, Fontina shines in chicken valdostano or cheesy polenta accompanied by beef stew. The cheese's earthy, mushroomy, and woody notes make it an exceptional complement to roast meats and truffles.
Aostan Fontina, a variety of Fontina produced in the Aosta Valley, stands out for its natural rind, which develops a tan to orange-brown colour as it ages. The interior of Aostan Fontina is a pale cream colour, with the characteristic eyes scattered throughout. This variety is particularly noted for its unique flavour profile, encompassing earthy, mushroomy, and woody notes.
Fontina's ability to melt smoothly and its stretchiness when melted make it a popular choice for grilled cheese sandwiches, gooey baked pastas, cheesy mashed potatoes, breakfast casseroles, and paninis. Its melting properties also lend themselves well to fondue, where it is traditionally whipped with milk, eggs, and truffles to create a decadent dip for bread.
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Frequently asked questions
No, fontina is not a Swiss cheese. It is a semi-hard Italian cheese made from cow's milk.
Fontina has a rich, buttery, nutty, and silky-smooth flavour. It is also described as having an earthy, mushroomy, and woody taste.
Fontina is a good melting cheese, making it a popular choice for grilled cheese sandwiches, hot dishes like baked pastas, cheesy mashed potatoes, and paninis. It is also used in fondue.
Fontina has a pale yellow or cream colour with a glossy exterior and a tan to orange-brown rind. It has small holes in the body, similar to Swiss cheese.
