Fontina (French: ''Fontine'') is a cow's milk cheese, first produced in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. Over time, production of Fontina has spread worldwide, including the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

, Sweden,

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

and

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

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 mild but distinctively nutty and savoury. Fontinas from Sweden, Denmark, and the United States have milder flavour, softer texture, and more holes than those of Italy. Fontina cheese has been made in the

Aosta Valley , Valdostan or Valdotainian it, Valdostano (man) it, Valdostana (woman)french: Valdôtain (man)french: Valdôtaine (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = Official languages , population_blank1 = Italian French ...

, in the

Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Swi ...

since the 12th century. Fontina produced in the EU can be identified by a Consorzio (Consortium) stamp of the

Matterhorn The (, ; it, Cervino, ; french: Cervin, ; rm, Matterhorn) is a mountain of the Alps, straddling the main watershed and border between Switzerland and Italy. It is a large, near-symmetric pyramidal peak in the extended Monte Rosa area of the ...

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

, Sweden,

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

, and the

. The Swedish and Danish versions are often found in US grocery stores, and can be distinguished from Aostan Fontina by their red wax rind (also prevalent in Argentine Fontina). Fontina produced in the Aosta Valley 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''. Fifteenth-century food vendor (fresco from Castello di Issogne)

Fifteenth-century food vendor (fresco from Castello di Issogne)

The original Fontina cheese from the Aosta Valley is fairly pungent and has quite an intense flavor, although Fontina-like labeled cheeses that are produced in other countries can be much milder. 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 Eyes are organs of the visual system. They provide living organisms with vision, the ability to receive and process visual detail, as well as enabling several photo response functions that are independent of vision. Eyes detect light and con ...

". It is noted for its earthy, mushroomy, and woody taste, and pairs exceptionally well with roast meats and truffles. It has a rich and creamy flavor which gets nuttier with aging. Mature Fontina is a

hard cheese There are many different types of cheese. Cheeses can be grouped or classified according to criteria such as length of fermentation, texture, methods of production, fat content, animal milk, and country or region of origin. The method most co ...

, and melts well.

Protected designation of origin

Fontina cheese sold in the EU can be identified by a Consorzio (Consortium) stamp of the Matterhorn including the script "FONTINA". Cheese produced in the Aosta Valley has a protected designation of origin (DOP) with regulations that the cheese must be made from unpasteurized milk from a single milking, of a Valdostana breed of cow, with two batches being made per day.

Recipes

Young Fontina has a softer texture and can be suitable for

fondue Fondue (, , ) is a Swiss melted cheese dish served in a communal pot ( ''caquelon'' or fondue pot) over a portable stove () heated with a candle or spirit lamp, and eaten by dipping bread into the cheese using long-stemmed forks. It was promoted ...

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

eggs Humans and human ancestors have scavenged and eaten animal eggs for millions of years. Humans in Southeast Asia had domesticated chickens and harvested their eggs for food by 1,500 BCE. The most widely consumed eggs are those of fowl, especial ...

, and

truffles A truffle is the fruiting body of a subterranean ascomycete fungus, predominantly one of the many species of the genus ''Tuber''. In addition to ''Tuber'', many other genera of fungi are classified as truffles including '' Geopora'', '' Pe ...

. A good pairing is

Nebbiolo Nebbiolo (, ; pms, nebieul ) 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, Roero ...

, 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