Kamil Perry
Fontina is a semi-soft Italian cheese made from cow's milk. It is known for its superb melting quality and mild, nutty flavour. Fontina is traditionally made from unpasteurised milk from cows in the Aosta Valley, an Alpine region in northwest Italy, and has been produced in this way since the 12th century. The cheese is characterised by a creamy light yellow colour with small holes, known as eyes. Its younger version is soft, creamy and suitable for fondue, while the aged variety is harder and nuttier, making it ideal for grating. Fontina's versatility in cooking, distinct flavour and rich history make it a unique cheese worth trying.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of Cheese | Semi-soft, semi-hard, Italian-style cow's milk cheese |
| Origin | Italy (specifically the Aosta Valley in the Italian Alps) |
| Texture | Creamy, smooth, melts well |
| Rind | Thin, pale orange |
| Fat Content | 45% |
| Colour | Creamy light yellow |
| Flavour | Mild, nutty, buttery, pungent, earthy |
| Taste | Rich |
| Substitutes | Challerhocker, Taleggio, Gruyere, Raclette, Gouda, Provolone, Montasio, Vacherin, Havarti |
| Use Cases | Fondue, cheese dip, cheese sauces, casseroles, pizza, grilled cheese sandwiches, frittatas, baked stratas, sandwiches, pasta bakes, pies, paninis, mashed potatoes, breakfast casseroles |
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What You'll Learn
Fontina cheese substitutes
Fontina cheese is a semi-soft Italian cheese with a creamy, light yellow colour and a mild, nutty flavour. It is known for its superb melting quality. If you're unable to find Fontina cheese, there are several substitutes that can be used in its place.
Taleggio
A washed-rind Alpine cheese, Taleggio is a semi-soft cow's milk cheese with a pungent and strong aroma. It can be eaten on its own or used in salads, sandwiches and more.
Challerhocker
Another washed-rind Alpine cheese, Challerhocker can be used in similar ways to Taleggio.
Gruyere
Gruyere is a hard cow's milk cheese from Switzerland. It is a common and widely available substitute for Fontina, excellent for grating over soups, pasta dishes, and more.
Gouda
Gouda is a semi-hard to hard cow's milk cheese with a different colour and texture from Fontina. It can be grated over pasta dishes, risottos, and other similar dishes.
Mozzarella
Mozzarella is a soft cheese with a very different texture from Fontina. It can be used in similar ways to Fontina, such as in sandwiches or melted in dishes like pizza or casseroles.
In addition to the options above, other cheeses that can be used as substitutes for Fontina include Raclette, Provolone, and Fontal.
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Fontina cheese taste and texture
Fontina is a semi-soft to hard Italian cheese with a creamy, mild, nutty, and savoury flavour. Its flavour depends on how long it has been aged, with younger Fontina having a milder taste and being used as a table cheese, while older Fontina has a sharper, nuttier taste and is used for grating. The cheese has a fat content of around 45% and a creamy light yellow colour with small holes, known as "eyes". Fontina is known for its superb melting quality, and its texture and taste are influenced by the production process and the region in which it is made.
The process of making Fontina involves heating cow's milk to 97°F in stainless steel or copper vats, adding live cultures and calf's rennet to form curds, and then cooking the mixture to a higher temperature of about 116 to 118°F. The curds are then strained and transferred into round moulds, where they are drained and salted. This is followed by 60 days of aging in a cool environment and then another 30 to 90 days in aging caves, where the cheese is washed with brine regularly to form the rind.
The region of production also affects the taste and texture of Fontina. Traditional Italian Fontina, made in the Aosta Valley, has a semi-hard texture and a thin, pale orange rind. It is known for its earthy, mushroomy, and woody taste, pairing well with roast meats and truffles. Swedish or Danish-style Fontina, on the other hand, has a milder, milkier flavour, a softer texture, and is packaged in red wax. American-style Fontina is even milder, with a higher moisture content, making it ideal for melting.
The versatility of Fontina in terms of taste and texture makes it a popular choice for various dishes. Younger Fontina, with its excellent melting quality, is commonly used in fondue, cheese dips, casseroles, pizza, and grilled cheese sandwiches. On the other hand, mature Fontina, which is harder, can be grated over soups, pasta dishes, rice, risotto, vegetables, and salads.
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Fontina cheese history
Fontina cheese has been made in the Aosta Valley, in the Alps, since the 12th century. The cheese is produced at the feet of the Alps, in the Italian Aosta valley, where lush meadows provide the milk needed to produce Fontina. The milk is sourced from red-pied Valdostana cows.
The process of making Fontina involves delivering milk directly from the pasture to the creamery, where large copper cauldrons are filled and heated. Enzymes and calf rennet are added to promote coagulation of the milk, resulting in the formation of curd. When firm, it is then separated and drained through a cheesecloth, before being placed in wheel-shaped moulds. After it has brined for two months, the wheel is ready for ageing in the caverns of Valle d'Aosta. Workers tend to the cheeses by turning, brushing and salting them every other day. After three months of maturing in the humid grottos, the cheese is officially labelled Fontina.
Fontina has a milk fat content of around 45%, giving it a dangerously creamy texture. The cheese is semi-soft to hard in texture and mild to medium-sharp in flavour. Its flavour is distinctively savoury and nutty, with the nuttiness increasing with age. The colour of the interior of the cheese is pale cream, and it is riddled with holes known as "eyes". The rind of the cheese is usually tan to orange-brown.
Over time, the production of Fontina has spread worldwide, including to the United States, Denmark, Sweden, Canada, France, and Argentina. Fontina produced in the EU can be identified by a consortium stamp of the Matterhorn, including the script "FONTINA". Derivatives of Fontina include "fontinella", "fontal", and "fontella".
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Fontina cheese production
Fontina cheese is made by heating cow's milk to 97°F in stainless steel or copper vats. Live cultures and calf's rennet are then added to form curds. After resting, the mixture is cooked at a higher temperature of about 116 to 118°F. The resulting curds are strained and then transferred to round moulds where they are drained and salted. This process is followed by 60 days of ageing in a cool environment, and then another 30 to 90 days in ageing caves, where it is washed with brine regularly to form the rind. The cheese is brushed, salted, and turned every other day during this period.
Fontina cheese is traditionally made from raw, unpasteurised milk from cows in the Aosta Valley, a region in the Italian Alps. The milk is delivered directly from the pasture to the creamery, where it is heated and enzymes are added to promote coagulation. The curds are then separated and drained through a cheesecloth before being placed in wheel-shaped moulds. After two months, the wheel is ready to be aged in the caves of the Valle d'Aosta.
Fontina cheese has been produced in the Aosta Valley since the 12th century. The cheese made in this region is considered the most authentic and original, with a protected designation of origin. It is characterised by its thin, pale orange rind and pale cream interior with small holes, known as "eyes". The flavour of Fontina from this region is complex, earthy, mushroomy, and woody, with fruity, grassy, and nutty notes.
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Fontina cheese uses
Fontina is a delicate, nutty, and melty Italian cow's milk cheese. It is traditionally made from unpasteurized milk from cows in the Aosta Valley, an Alpine region in northwest Italy. However, Fontina cheese is also made in Denmark, Sweden, the United States, Canada, and Argentina. The cheese has a creamy light yellow colour with a mild and nutty flavour, although its intensity depends on how long it has been aged.
Younger Fontina is used as a table cheese and is perfect for recipes that require melted cheese, such as fondue, cheese dip, or cheese sauces. It can be used in casseroles, notably mac and cheese, pizza, grilled cheese sandwiches, frittatas, and baked stratas. Its superb melting quality makes it a great addition to recipes such as mashed potatoes, potato tarts, and zucchini rolls.
Mature Fontina is harder and can be grated over soups, pasta dishes, rice, risotto, vegetables, and salads. It can also be used in dishes like lasagna and spaghetti pie.
- Hollow out a baguette and stuff it with eggs, bacon, sun-dried tomatoes, and Fontina cheese.
- Roll up strips of zucchini with bacon and Fontina cheese.
- Layer cooked chicken breast, grated Fontina cheese, and thin slices of pear and red onion over toasted sourdough bread.
- Make a white pizza with pizza dough, Fontina cheese, garlic, and oregano.
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Frequently asked questions
Fontina is a semi-soft Italian cheese made from cow's milk. It has a creamy, light yellow colour with a mild, nutty, buttery flavour. It is known for its superb melting quality.
Fontina is a popular pairing with roasted meat, such as roast venison, and truffle recipes. It is also commonly used in hot dishes like gooey baked pastas, cheesy mashed potatoes, breakfast casseroles, and paninis.
Some commercial varieties of Fontina cheese are available in larger supermarkets. However, the best versions are found in Italy or in delicatessens.
