Made in Italy's Val d'Aosta by a number of different cooperatives, fontina is a cow's milk cheese. The best are made from May through to September, during which time the herds graze on Alpine meadows. It has a smooth, semi-soft texture and a pale yellow interior, with an even scattering of small holes. The brown rind is thin and slightly oily. As it ages, its delicate, nutty, slightly honeyed aroma intensifies. Its creamy nature makes it very versatile, and it's particularly good melted.
How do I get Fontina ready to use?
Take the fontina out of the fridge and allow to return to room temperature (around 1-2 hours) before eating, so that the flavours and aroma can develop.
What about keeping Fontina?
Keep wrapped in greaseproof paper inside a polythene bag, and store in the fridge - that way it should keep for around a week. Don't wrap it in clingfilm, as it will make it sweat, but foil is perfectly fine in the absence of greaseproof.
How do I cook Fontina?
As part of a cheeseboard; grilled; in pasta sauces; with ham in panini bread; melted in fondue.
Made in Italy's Val d'Aosta by a number of different cooperatives, fontina is a cow's milk cheese. The best are made from May through to September, during which time the herds graze on Alpine meadows. It has a smooth, semi-soft texture and a pale yellow interior, with an even scattering of small holes. The brown rind is thin and slightly oily. As it ages, its delicate, nutty, slightly honeyed aroma intensifies. Its creamy nature makes it very versatile, and it's particularly good melted.