Fontina ( French: ''fontine'') is a cow's milk

cheese Cheese is a type of dairy product produced in a range of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk (usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats or sheep). During prod ...

, first produced in

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. Over time, production of fontina has spread worldwide, including to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, and

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

Description

Fontina is a cheese that is semisoft to hard in texture and mild to medium-sharp in flavor. It has a

milk fat Butterfat or milkfat is the fatty portion of milk. Milk and cream are often sold according to the amount of butterfat they contain. Composition Butterfat is mainly composed of triglycerides. Each triglyceride contains three fatty acids. Butt ...

content around 45%. The characteristic flavor of fontina is creamy and mild but distinctively savoury and nutty, the nuttiness increasing with aging. Fontinas from

, and the

have milder flavor, softer texture, and more holes than those of Italy. Fontina cheese has been made in the

Aosta Valley The Aosta Valley ( ; ; ; or ), officially the Autonomous Region of Aosta Valley, is a mountainous Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region in northwestern Italy. It is bordered by Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Fr ...

, in the

Alps The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia. ...

, since the 12th century. Fontina produced in the EU can be identified by a consortium stamp of the

Matterhorn The , ; ; ; or ; ; . is a mountain of the Alps, straddling the Main chain of the Alps, main watershed and border between Italy and Switzerland. It is a large, near-symmetric pyramidal peak in the extended Monte Rosa area of the Pennine Alps, ...

including the script "FONTINA". As with many other varieties, the name "fontina" has derivatives such as "fontinella", "fontal", and "fontella". Although the version from the Aosta Valley is the original and the most famous, a derivative production occurs in other parts of

, as well as in Denmark, Sweden,

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

, and the United States. Fontina produced in the Aosta Valley has a

protected designation of origin The protected designation of origin (PDO) is a type of geographical indication of the European Union aimed at preserving the designations of origin of food-related products. The designation was created in 1992 and its main purpose is to designat ...

, with regulations that it must be made from unpasteurized milk from a single milking, with two batches being made per day.Rubino, R.; Sardo, P.; Surrusca, A. (eds.). ''Italian Cheese: 293 Traditional Types''. . Aostan fontina has a natural rind due to aging, which is usually tan to orange-brown.'The history'
, Cooperativa Produttori Latte e Fontina (2006). The interior of the cheese is pale cream in color and riddled with holes known as "

eyes An eye is a sensory organ that allows an organism to perceive visual information. It detects light and converts it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons (neurones). It is part of an organism's visual system. In higher organisms, the ey ...

". It is noted for its earthy, mushroomy, and woody taste, and pairs exceptionally well with roast meats and truffles.

Recipes

Young fontina has a softer texture and can be suitable for

fondue Fondue ( , , , ; ) is a Swiss dish of melted cheese and wine served in a communal pot ( or fondue pot) over a portable stove () heated with a candle or spirit lamp, and eaten by dipping bread and sometimes vegetables or other foods into the c ...

. ''Fonduta alla valdostana'' (in Italian) or ''Fondue à la valdôtaine'' (in French) is a traditional dish of fontina whipped with milk, eggs, and

truffle A truffle is the Sporocarp (fungi), fruiting body of a subterranean ascomycete fungus, one of the species of the genus ''Tuber (fungus), Tuber''. More than one hundred other genera of fungi are classified as truffles including ''Geopora'', ''P ...

s. Mature fontina is a

hard cheese There are many different types of cheese, which can be grouped or classified according to criteria such as: length of fermentation, texture, production method, fat content, animal source of the milk, and country or region of origin. These criter ...

, and still melts well. A good pairing is

Nebbiolo Nebbiolo (, ; ) is an Italian red wine grape variety predominantly associated with its native Piedmont region, where it makes the ''Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita'' (DOCG) wines of Barolo, Barbaresco, Gattinara, Ghemme, a ...

, a red wine with flavors of wild cherry and truffles.

Generic nature of fontina

In 1986, the U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board ruled that "fontina" was the generic name of a type of cheese "rather than a certification mark indicating regional origin, in view of the fact that non-certified producers outside that region use the term to identify non-certified cheeses". Today, fontina is produced in countries around the world, including the United States, Denmark, Sweden, Quebec, France, and Argentina.

References

External links

The Milk and Fontina Producers Co-Operative
{{Italian cheeses Italian cheeses Cow's-milk cheeses Italian products with protected designation of origin Cuisine of Aosta Valley Cheeses with designation of origin protected in the European Union Washed-rind cheeses Cheese with eyes

Description

Recipes

Generic nature of fontina

See also

References

External links