What is Fontina Cheese?

Fontina? This one’s probably not a cheese you see everyday. But hear us out: it kinda should be. Fontina cheese is lowkey incredible. Make room on your sandwich for this creamy Italian delight!

What is fontina cheese? 

The cut-and-dry definition of fontina is a mild, semi-soft cow’s milk cheese. True fontina originates in the Italian Alps region: specifically, it calls the lush green fields of the Aosta Valley home. Traditionally, it’s made using the unpasteurized milk of Valdostana cows, one milking at a time, two batches of cheese a day. After coagulating the milk with enzymes, the separated curd is brined in wheel-shaped molds for two months, and then aged in the caves of the valley for another three months. Fontina has been made this way in this tiny part of Italy since the 12th century! Nowadays, however, the FDA allows cheeses made in the same style to use the name “fontina” regardless of origin. That means fontina is now crafted in other countries such as Denmark, Sweden, France, Argentina, and right here in the United States.

The earliest depiction of fontina, a 1480 fresco from the Issogne Castle. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

The Aosta valley in Italy (Source: Il Blog di Gaetano Lo Presti)

What does fontina cheese taste like?

Richness and nuttiness form the backbone of the fontina flavor. Although it varies from style to style, tasters note that it’s a buttery cheese across the board. Fontina has a fat content of 45%, making it dangerously creamy. True fontina is delicately pungent and earthy; Swedish and Danish fontina are lighter and slightly sweet. This smooth, white cheese often has small holes in it, and may or may not come in wax (depending on where it was made). As it matures, its flavor intensifies; however, some people prefer “young” fontina, for example when making Fonduta alla valdostana, a traditional fondue whipped with milk, eggs, and truffles.

Fontina cheese with a brown rind. (Source: Chefs Mandala)

How should I use fontina cheese?

Fontina is great for melting. In fact, it’s so good that there’s a classic fondue recipe from the region that we just mentioned, Fonduta alla valdostana. Now that we’ve established that it melts well, the next step is to put this stuff on your sandwich. This cheese can elevate a turkey melt like nobody’s business. Next to roast meat, fontina’s woody taste really shines, and it can’t be beat atop a pizza or melted into pasta sauce. So next time you’re at the grocery store, give it a try. No, it’s not as famous as mozzarella or parmesan—it’s kind of if-you-know-you-know. Fontina is truly a hidden gem of a cheese.

Okay, just one more photo of the Italian Aosta Valley, AKA D’Aosta. (Source: Italy Travel and Life)