Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Fontina
Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics
Images & Videos
Fontina
A round wheel of cheese with a wedge cut out sits on a blue wooden surface, overlaid with large text reading How It's Made and very light blue question marks in the background.
Quizzes
Chef tossing vegetables in a frying pan over a burner (skillet, food).
What’s on the Menu? Vocabulary Quiz
Quick Facts
Related Topics:
cheese
See all related content
Britannica AI Icon
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Fontina
Fontina

Fontina

cheese
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
History

Fontina, semihard cow’s-milk cheese that originated in the Valle d’Aosta region of northern Italy. Made in wheels 13 to 15 inches (33 to 38 cm) in diameter and 3 to 4 inches (about 8 to 10 cm) thick, Fontina has a tough beige natural rind, sometimes coated in wax, and a pale gold interior with a few small holes. The characteristic flavour of Fontina is mild but distinctively nutty and savoury. Fontinas from Sweden, Denmark, and the United States have milder flavour, softer texture, and more holes than those of Italy.

A round wheel of cheese with a wedge cut out sits on a blue wooden surface, overlaid with large text reading How It's Made and very light blue question marks in the background.
How Is Cheese Made?If Wisconsin was a country, it would rank fourth in the world in cheese production.
See all videos for this article

The European Economic Community protects the designation Fontina; similar cheeses that are produced outside Valle d’Aosta but within the Common Market are generally known as fontal.

Fontina is used as a table cheese, served with bread or crackers. It is also commonly melted on pastas and sandwiches or in soups and may be used as a topping on pizza.

Chef tossing vegetables in a frying pan over a burner (skillet, food).
Britannica Quiz
What’s on the Menu? Vocabulary Quiz
The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Meg Matthias.