Cheese of the week: AOP Fontina Valdostana.

We present to you one of the finest Italian cow's milk cheeses, famous and unfortunately, often imitated: the Fontina Valdostana dop. It received the “Protected Designation of Origin” award in 1996 from the European Union. This certification adheres to very strict regulations to ensure the highest quality of products. The production area is exclusively the autonomous region of Valle d’Aosta, where the altitude of the available pastures ranges from 2000 to 2700 meters, which allows the herds to graze on high-quality alpine grass.
The Fontina Valdostana dop is produced using milk from local breeds such as: Pezzata Rossa and Pezzata Nera. This cheese is aged for at least 3 months in dark and humid places, often by carving out tunnels or utilizing ancient mines. Its flavor is sweet, particularly aromatic, and varies according to different factors such as: the season of production, the type of forage grazed by the herds, and the level of maturation. 

Its goodness is well-known in Italy and worldwide. It is widely used in cooking to fill, season delicious dishes, or to enjoy fresh at the table. It is recommended to take it out of the refrigerator at least an hour before tasting it. It is essential for the recipe of Valdostana fondue, to which milk and eggs are added to prevent clumping. You can dip meat, polenta, cooked vegetables, or simply toasted bread into the fondue. It is spectacular with a sprinkle of white truffle for an extraordinary experience.
Why does the Fontina Valdostana Dop smell?

Its unbearable odor derives from several factors.

 

The reasons are various: first and foremost is the quality of the milk, which has a strong aroma, sourced exclusively from Pezzata Rossa and Pezzata Nera cows grazing in alpine pastures; as if that weren't enough, only in those locations, there are friendly bacteria, of sixteen different species, which affect the fermentation of the cheese and increase its olfactory unacceptability. Pseudomonas is the most important among the bacterial strains and the most challenging to manage. The aging of the Fontina Valdostana dop occurs in tunnels carved into the rock that maintain a stable temperature between 10 and 12 degrees Celsius with humidity over 85% for at least 3 months. This represents the perfect environment for the proliferation of bacteria (of sixteen different species) and the characteristic odor. Despite this peculiarity, it is a delight for the palate and is very famous worldwide. It will amaze you.