Sweet taste, hard paste, intense aroma (a bit like the Gorgonzola), capable of bringing the fields of Valle d'Aosta directly on our tables. La Fontina it is much more than a cheese, it is an expression of a territory, the Valle D'Aosta, of its rich and substantial cuisine.
A real gastronomic specialty, so much to be protected by a Consortium which supervises its production and provides for the marking of the forms conforming to the quality criteria.
A cheese with ancient origins
It seems that its history is very old. As reported by Consortium, the first mention of Fontina dates back to 1477, while the first classification is dated 1887 with "The Fontine of Val d'Aosta"In the yearbook of the Experimental Station of the Lodi dairy. The second classification dates back to the years 30 and 40 by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests. Only in 1995, Fontina was conquered, along with 6 other Italian cheeses, by the European Commission Protected Designation of Origin.
Essential ingredient of many preparations
Today the Fontina represents the basis of many typical recipes of Valle D'Aosta, to comic the tasty Fondue, i Gnocchi Alla Bava, as well as the tasty Valdostana steak or the crepes. But it is also perfect to natural, for a nutritious snack or breathtaking delicious appetizers in an evening with friends. But what are its characteristics? And what is the best way to consume it from a nutritional point of view? We deepen these aspects with the doctor Valentina Bolli, dietician.
Values and nutritional properties
Illustrates the Dr. Bolli "La Fontina it is a semi-fat cheese, of varying maturation, with interesting qualities from a food point of view. It provides an excellent supply of vitamin a, (has about 420 micrograms per 100g), important for vision, bone development, teeth growth and immune response. It also contains a good amount of vitamin b2 (0.45 micrograms per 100), which plays a fundamental role in energy processes ". Among the minerals stands out in particular the football (870 milligrams per 100g), essential for bones and teeth. As for the other characteristics, the dietician continues "The proteins are in line with the other cheeses of equivalent curing, about 24.5 grams out of 100. As well as cholesterol, with 82 mg out of 100".
It must be considered a second course or a single dish
It is therefore a cheese that can be consumed like other hard cheeses. Points out Valentina Bolli "The guidelines suggest that the ideal is to add it to the diet once a week, in the amount of 50 g (against 100 g) of fresh cheeses. It must be considered a real second course or a single plate. Perfect for example the pizzoccheri, a balanced mix of proteins, vegetables (verze) and carbohydrates. The use of buckwheat among other things makes this dish also suitable for coeliacs. But also gnocchi alla bava, using 50 g of fontina and 150 g of gnocchi, you get a delicious single dish, rich in taste and well-assorted ".
Elisa Nata
January 2019
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