Fontina is a kind of Italian cheese created in the Aosta Valley region. It is made of cow’s milk. Fontina cheese is a unique Italian cheese, and some commercial versions are sold in bigger supermarkets. As you’ll be aware, the most excellent varieties of fontina cheese are available in Italy. Substitute For Fontina Cheese shared below to use for making scrumptious recipes when you don’t have original fontina cheese in your fridge for enjoying tasty recipes with friends and family.
Reasons to substitute Fontina Cheese
Unavailability: The cheese of Fontina is not always available in many places, and it is necessary to search for substitutes.
Smell: Many people dislike its smell, which increases as the cheese age goes up. So they seek out Fontina cheese alternatives.
Nutritional value: It’s also high in calories.
Replacements and Substitutes For Fontina Cheese
This list of substitutes for fontina cheese will give you clear guidelines regarding using the right fontina cheese alternatives.
Gruyere
Gruyere is the best choice to replace the taste in Fontina cheese. Among the most efficient Fontina alternatives, it is made from old milk that is unpasteurized, exactly like Fontina. Its yellow color adds an extra dimension to your food. It has a rich, nutty taste and a rich texture similar to Fontina. It has an excellent melting capacity and can turn gooey upon heating.
Another benefit to this type of cheese is it is more popular than Fontina. Its roots go back to Gruyere which is a Swiss village in Switzerland. This is a form of Swiss cheese made with cow’s milk. It has a distinct nutty flavor and is an excellent choice in many Italian recipes. Many chefs prefer to purchase this cheese for their kitchen shelves because it lasts long without getting spoiled. The most appealing thing about the Gruyere Cheese is that it can melt quickly and taste delicious in pizzas or topping for a Burger.
It’s also more astringent than other types of cheese, such as Emmental. It is essential to keep in mind that this particular variety of cheese is more costly than different types of cheese. When choosing Gruyere Cheese, you should be aware of some characteristics and its replacement options which also you may like.
The first thing to consider is that the cheese should be pale yellow with a smooth, even texture without cracks. It’s also crucial to ensure that the cheese is firm when gently pressing it using your finger. Some varieties are laced with holes, making them unsuitable for high-temperature meals like lasagna or pizza.
Emmental
It is often called Swiss cheese. Emmental is also known for its potent smell, which can often be quite intense and akin to Fontina. It is a cheese made using unpasteurized cow’s dairy. It has an acidic taste with a very fruity and delicious flavor. Its distinctive large holes and extremely sought-after cheese are thought to be one of the most difficult cheeses to make.
Emmental adds flavor to dishes due to its rich flavor and is delicious in all types of sauces and grilled sandwiches. It’s a good snack with fondue and fruits and is delicious sprinkled over vegetables. It has a sweet flavor, with a tart tang like Fontina cheese, making it an excellent cheese to go with fruits and wine. It is produced using only natural ingredients and has no preservatives or additives.
The bigger holes that are formed by its unique fermentation process are what distinguish Emmental cheese. Emmental cheese is easy to find, or you could quickly swap the Swiss cheese already in your refrigerator. Because of its distinctive flavor, Emmental pairs well with other items on the charcuterie board and is an excellent choice to snack on all by itself. Emmental can also turn into a delicious cheese sauce if that’s what you need as well.
Gouda Cheese
Gouda cheese is the most well-known cheese in the Netherlands and Northern Germany. It is mild in flavor in comparison to other types of cheese like brie and camembert. This is because Dutch Gouda has a buttery flavor that is great with most Italian recipes. The cheese is soft and firm yet slightly oily on the inside. It is also easy to melt, ideal for pizzas and baked foods like lasagna.
Additionally, it is a highly flexible variety of cheese as it can be blended with various ingredients to produce many different tastes. Another essential aspect of Dutch Gouda is that this cheese is naturally sweet. Gouda can be described as a creamy and decadent cheese that is used extensively in the world of food. It is semi-hard in its quality that can be used in various meals, such as sauces, soups, macaroni fondue, and lots of main meals.
It is also possible to pair it with champagne, wine, and even beer, similar to Fontina cheese. It is made from pasteurized and unpasteurized milk, and you have a wide selection. Gouda is flexible in its usage. It can be cooked, melted, cubed, grated, or cut into slices. For a replacement for Fontina cheese, you can add this fine-tasting cheese to pasta, sandwiches, macaroni, salads, fondue, and even vegetables.
Provolone
Provolone is an additional Italian cheese appreciated for its distinct flavor. It has a moderate to spicy flavor, based on the kind, and the tanginess increases when it ages. It is great with sauces and soups if you prefer a strong taste. You can also use it for salads with vegetables. It is also possible to serve it as cheese for a table served with hot chutney and bread. This cheese type is a hard cheese which is a product of Italy.
It’s been a staple in the Mediterranean diet for a long time. Provolone Cheese is characterized by a soft texture that is free of holes inside its body regarding appearance. Furthermore, this type of cheese is sweet compared to other kinds like cheddar. Provolone Cheese melts easily and imparts a rich taste in Italian dishes. Furthermore, the particular cheese is light yellow with a hard body that feels soft when you touch it.
Provolone and Fontina, both types originate from Italy and are both young cheeses with mild flavors. Provolone is more delicate than the young Fontina. However, Provolone has a little noticeable flavor. Provolone cheese is widely available in the grocery store, and you can also make it in various ways.
It is great in many Italian dishes, such as its topping for baked ziti and top salads. Try it in hot sandwiches, such as melting in a meatball sub or sandwiched into a grilled cheese. Because it is softer, it isn’t as grating easily. You can also run a larger chunk from cheese into the shredder feature in the food processor.
Edam
Edam is an extremely light semi-hard cheese that comes from the Netherlands. It has a delicate flavor with a slightly bitter taste. The product will begin to age and become harder if it is not used. Its low-fat content makes it a healthier substitute for Fontina that contains more fat. This cheese accompanies fruits, bread, and some meat dishes. It is often found in desserts and wines and can also be enjoyed in its melted form when you add it to crepes and pasta. Edam adds the flavor of sauces and soups.
This variety is ideal in cold dishes like sandwiches, salads, cheese boards, or even on the cheese plate as dessert. Combine it with melons, stone fruits, or apples with grapes for the best combination. The fruit’s sweetness perfectly balances the tang of saltiness present in this cheese.
Havarti
You get creamy and buttery deliciousness when you substitute Havarti with Fontina cheese when you cook your dish. The cheese melts at room temperatures, allowing the flavors to explode in your mouth when you eat it. Havarti is great with sauce-based pizza recipes, and it’s also a wonderful wine pairing as a table cheese. In addition, it is well-integrated with other herbs, ingredients, and spices.
Similar to Fontina and Emmental cheddars, this is also porous. Still, its pores aren’t as large as the ones of Emmental cheese and are more plentiful than those of Fontina. It is a soft Danish dairy cheese from one country that makes Fontina cheese, meaning that it’s very similar. It has similar creamy, mild flavors and is a great substitute with young Fontina in various recipes.
The smooth texture of Havarti allows the cheese to melt quickly, but it also tastes great chilled. You can add it to deli subs or pasta bakes, paninis, or even cheese boards that can be served with various wines to complement it. Havarti is available in various grocery stores and is available in various designs, such as being already cut into slices for sandwiches or in an individual wedge that allows you to cut it up and prepare it the way you’ll need it.
Feta Cheese
Feta Cheese can be described as a blue-veined cheddar made from goat and sheep milk. It was first discovered in Greece. Feta cheese is a bit crumbly in its texture, so it is great when it is added to Greek salads or served by itself with crusty bread.
It’s important to remember that this kind of cheese is characterized by a salty taste that can be different from the manufacturer. Certain varieties are mild, whereas others might be very strong. However, all varieties of Feta Cheese impart an intense flavor to Italian recipes.
Mozzarella
Mozzarella cheese is one other option. Although most likely it has the farthest relationship to Fontina, you can use it similarly. Mozzarella is a soft cheese, particularly as compared to Fontina. However, mozzarella, the Italian cheese made mainly from cow’s milk, has a sweet yet slightly sour flavor compared to a young Fontina. Both kinds of cheese have a fat texture that is worth noting.
Mozzarella cheese can be found in smooth round balls of various sizes in logs that are pre-sliced or even shredded. It’s often used in pizzas, salads, baked pasta, and many others. It melts well and tastes great cold in the form of a Caprese salad. But be aware that the flavor will be quite different because mozzarella does not have the distinctive taste of the nutty Fontina. Mozzarella is a substitute for fontina with a different texture. It’s great as a sandwich filler and salad dressing. you can also look for some popular substitutes of mozzarella incase you don’t have it in your fridge.
Parmesan
There are many places to buy Parmesan cheese in grated form. Parmigiano Parmesan is the abbreviation used to describe Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. It’s an ingredient in many dishes of Italian cuisine, particularly pasta. The name for this particular cheese is derived from the region where it is manufactured. Parmesan cheese comes in a complicated shape, with the majority of its ingredients composed of cow’s milk.
Thus, making this kind of cheese typically requires a considerable amount of time, at most one year. The typical time ranges from 2 to 3 years to allow the cheese to attain the best. Parmesan cheese can be utilized directly after being ground into a powder or utilized to make hotcakes and dishes. For applying Parmesan cheese, you’ll need to use a hard and sharp knife to cut it into smaller pieces. It is also possible to shred or grate it.
Then, the cheese can be sprinkled over dishes or sprayed on baked goods’ surfaces to give them a delicious and appealing taste. To preserve the best quality of parmesan, make sure you buy the whole parmesan in the shops and store it in your refrigerator. Because parmesan is the same in firmness and richness as Fontina, it can be substituted. However, the taste will not be identical.
Frequently Asked Questions about fontina cheese
Why should you look for Fontina Cheese substitutes?
The primary reason for looking for alternatives to fontina cheese is that you may not locate it in the usual supermarkets. Additionally, as you may have observed, the cheese is very high in fat. You may want to look for alternatives that are lower in calories. Also, some people don’t like the sour smell.
How long is the fontina good for?
You must keep Fontina cheese within an airtight container. It can be kept up to at least ten days. It is also possible to wrap in plastic and store frozen for several months. To defrost it, place it in the fridge overnight before using it.
How does fontina cheese taste?
Rich and creamy, this cheese tastes delicious and sour and reveals tones of roasted nuts and butter when on your tongue. Typically made from unpasteurized dairy, the texture is semi-hard smooth and adorned with tiny holes inside the body.
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