Fontina ( Italian: Fontina ) or Fontina ( French: Fontine [2] ) is an Italian semi-hard cheese, the production of which requires unpasteurized milk from Aostan cows [3] , which are grazed in the meadows of the Valle d'Aosta region .
| Fontina | |
|---|---|
| ital. Fontina fr. Fontine | |
 | |
| Country of origin | Italy |
| Milk | cow |
| Pasteurized | not |
| Texture | semi-solid |
| Ripening time | 3-6 months |
| Certification | |
| Known since | 12th century |
| USDA NDB Code | |
Content
History
Some sources contain information about the Fontina cheese and date back to the Middle Ages, such as, for example, ancient frescoes in the Isson Castle ( Italian: Castello di Issogne , French Château d'Issogne ). The doctor Pantaleone da Confienza ( Italian: Pantaleone da Confienza ) mentioned the Fontina cheese in 1477 in his treatise Summa Lacticinorum.
In 1957, the cooperative was opened, which included 400 producers, annually producing 400,000 heads of cheese.
Fontina cheese is a constant ingredient in recipes of Alpine cuisine, and in particular fondue ( Italian: Fonduta alla valdostana or French Fondue à la valdôtaine [4] ).
Cheese has the status of DOP - protection of origin [5] .
Manufacturing
The milk used for cheese production is delivered to the farm no more than 2 hours after milking. In the process of preparation, milk must be heated to 36 degrees Celsius and add rennet [3] . Then the cheese mass is expressed, it is placed in special forms. Store cheese in cool and moist places for 3 to 6 months. The cheese heads are turned over daily and wiped with brushes, and also salted to obtain the necessary taste. Ready cheese is marked with a round stamp with the image of Mount Matterhorn . This is an indicator of the authenticity of cheese.
Description
The fat content of milk is 45%. The cheese has a sharp taste, the aroma is saturated. Young cheese has a soft texture, mature - harder. Product color ranges from ivory to straw shades.
Notes
- ↑ https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX:31996R1107
- ↑ Dicitonnaire Larousse
- ↑ 1 2 Italian cheeses - Fontina
- ↑ See 1 and 2 .
- ↑ The Oxford Companion to Cheese (Oxford Companions), by Catherine Donnelly (Editor), Mateo Kehler (Foreword)