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One look at the distinctive stamp that marks all authentic wheels of Fontina -- a stark outline of the Matterhorn with "Fontina" written across it in bold print -- tells you almost all you need to know about this world-class product. This is mountain cheese, and it delivers all that it implies. In other words, this is a large, dense cheese that is full flavored, is nutty with a hint of fruit, and has superb melting properties. Fontina is to the people living on the Italian side of the Alps in the Valle D'Aosta what Gruyére is to the Swiss and the French on the other side. The mountain on the label could just as well be Monte Bianco (Mont Blanc to the French) for both of these giants loom over this tiny mountain region named for Caesar Augustus, and no doubt his Roman legions influenced the cheesemaking there. The people of the Valle D'Aosta seem to have more in common with the French-speaking peoples of Switzerland and France than with the rest of Italy, cut off as they are by the romantically named Gran Paradiso mountain range. The genesis for the name "Fontina" is variously attributed to mountain pastures of Mont Fontin, to the town of Fontinaz, and even to the surname of a family of cheesemakers, all of which probably amounts to the same thing. The whole, unpasteurized milk for the making of Fontina comes from the Valdostana breed of dairy cows that graze happily in the Alpine pastures. The milk is gently heated, inoculated with either natural or industrial rennet, and cut into curds the size of rice grains. These curds are then semi-cooked and allowed to settle, or rest for awhile at the bottom of the vat, and finally are scooped up into cloth bundles and placed into the forms that will give the cheese its characteristic concave sides. The fresh cheese is pressed to expel the excess whey and sent to the initial aging rooms where they are turned every day, salted, and then washed with brine-soaked brushes until the rind begins to form. Once the rind is set enough to sufficiently protect the cheeses, they are laid to rest in any one of a variety of aging facilities which, according to the experts at Slow Food Editore, can include "caves, grottoes, former army emplacements -- the co-operative dairy even uses an old copper mine . . . "
This final maturing period lasts at least three months, making the total aging time over four months, enough to allow its importation to the United States. The heartiness of mountain cooking, as well as Fontina's ability to melt smoothly and luxuriously over foods can be seen in some of the region's favorite dishes, such as la costoletta di vitello con fontina (a distant cousin to the Roman dish saltimbocca, consisting of a veal chop, bone in, with a slice of Fontina sandwiched inside, seasoned and breaded, and fried in butter), soupe a la Valpelleunentse (a sort of dense soup made with slices of bread, cabbage, Fontina, and butter), and most famously, a dish also beloved by their neighbors to the south in Piemonte, fonduta. Fonduta is similar to Swiss and French fondue, and indeed is based on the same verb, fondere (fondre in French), meaning "to melt." The difference is that fonduta is made thicker and richer with the addition of eggs, butter, and the region's famous white truffles. Also, fonduta is typically served atop rice, potatoes, or polenta, the area's favorite starches. Not to be overlooked is Fontina's place as a snacking cheese or as part of a cheeseboard. Its rich, nutty flavor goes very well with hearty red wines or ales. Though they often lack genuine Fontina's depth of flavor, there are many excellent Swedish and domestic versions of Fontina that are also marvelous melting cheeses and are more readily available than Fontina d'Aosta. Whatever versions you stock, make sure your customers and your staff have an opportunity to taste the original.