Fontina Cheese

Fontina Cheese is originally from Valle d’Aosta in Italy, and is made from cow’s milk. It is somewhat creamy and has a pale yellow interior with very small holes and a semi soft texture. The flavour of the cheese is mild and has a nut like taste with a hint of honey. However depending on how long the cheese is aged, it can be semi-soft to firm in texture, so the flavour can vary from mild and creamy to a more sharp taste.

Italian fontina cheese has a dark brown rind which gets darker the longer it is being aged. Fontina takes up to three months to be aged. The orange-brown rind colour indicates true fontina cheese. Other fontina cheeses come from Denmark, France and the United States. Many of these fontinas, especially when young, tend to be of a more mild flavour and softer than the original fontina cheese.

A well liked distinction of Italian fontina cheese is Danish fontina. This cheese is without a doubt encouraged by the Italian version, but Danish fontina cheese has a much milder, creamy flavour, and it is matured far less than the Italian fontina cheese. As a result of this, it is more of a semi soft cheese, rather than a firm one. The Danish adaptation of the cheese also has a red waxed rind. The more mild flavor and soft texture makes Danish fontina a popular cheese for sandwiches.

When shopping for fontina cheese the selection process is important. You should look for a consistently textured cheese with even colouring, meaning no form of discolouration. Older Italian cheese may have a strong aroma, but young cheese should have a moderately mild flavour. Mature fontina is a hard grating cheese while young fontina can be used as table cheese. It’s a great choice when you need a cheese that melts nicely.