Fontina

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Fontina PDO / DOP
Fontina PDO.jpg
origin Italy ( Aosta )
milk Cow / whole milk
treatment Raw milk
Cheese group cut cheese
Fat i. Tr. 45%
calcium k. A.
Measure / weight wheel-shaped, 30–40 cm diameter, 7–10 cm height / 8–18 kg
Ripening time 3-4 months
Certification DOP since October 30, 1955 PDO since June 12, 1996

Fontina is a northern Italian cheese with a protected designation of origin .

history

The Fontina takes its name from the Fontin Alm in the municipality of Quart in the Aosta Valley in the Italian Alps near Mont Blanc and the Italian- French border. It has been recorded in writing under the name fontine since 1717 (expenditure register of the hospice on the Great St. Bernhard ), but has a tradition that goes back even further. The Aosta Valley has a dry climate in summer due to the barrier formed by the mountains, which is why a rich mountain flora thrives here, which offers the best conditions for dairy farming.

After the DOP appointment in 1955, the Cooperativa Produttori Latte e Fontina (Cooperative of Milk and Fontina Producers) was founded by 46 founding members to protect manufacturers (mostly owners of small farms) and consumers and to prevent imitations. The cooperative supervises the production and marketing of the cheese. Today there are around 200 Fontina producers (individual farms, cooperative cheese factories and dairies) (as of August 2016) who produce a total of around 300,000 loaves per year. After the quality check, the Consorzio Produttori Fontina authorizes the use of the trademark that is affixed to every cheese as a seal of quality.

Manufacturing

Echter Fontina is made from the full raw milk of cows that graze on the alpine pastures in summer and otherwise receive hay produced on site , according to a traditional recipe . Milk processing takes place within two hours of milking. The rennet from the milk calf, which is prepared by the cheese maker, is used for coagulation . After about an hour the jelly is thick and cut. The curd is fired at 47-48 ° C, making it more compact. The curd is then poured from the kettle into the fascere and pressed so that the whey can drain off. The dough obtained is put into molds that give the cheese its typical shape. After about 12 hours, the dough can be removed from the mold, it now has largely the final shape of cylindrical loaves with a diameter of 30 to 40 cm, a height of 7 to 10 cm and a weight of 8 to 18 kg. At this stage it is straw white, soft and elastic. Maturation takes place in grottos carved into the rock of the slopes. There is a year-round temperature of 5 to 10 ° C with a humidity of min. 90 percent, so that the loaves stacked on pine shelves ripen in an average of three months. The cheeses are turned every day and alternately salted one day and brushed the next to remove the layer of mold that forms as a result of natural fermentation and to keep the rind moist.

properties

The cheese has a thin, ocher yellow, oily rind. The dough is pale yellow, elastic, soft, fat and has few small holes. The young cheese is almost spreadable. Young Fontina has a mild milk aroma with a spicy scent, the taste is mild and slightly sweet. With age the cheese darkens and becomes drier, it then develops an earthy-fruity aroma and a fine nutty taste.

variants

  • Fontinella , Fontella and Fontal are trade names for Fontina-style cheese made from pasteurized milk.
  • Danish fontal is a red waxed cheese made from pasteurized milk.

use

The cheese is served with celery or grapes or on toasted white bread. It is also suitable for cooking, especially for fillings and sauces , as it melts very easily and runs well. Fonduta alla valdostana (French: fondue à la valdôtaine ), a fondue variant from the Aosta Valley , is prepared on the basis of Fontina with butter , egg yolk , milk and white truffles .

Web links

Commons : Fontina  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Homepage of the Cooperativa Produttori Latte e Fontina (English version). Retrieved August 12, 2016.