Emmental, mozzarella, edam, Havarti and cheddar are some of the best substitutes of fontina cheese.
Produced in Italy, fontina is a perfect option for sandwiches, pizzas, sauces and frittatas. But fontina is infamously unavailable in so many areas that most of the people are always looking out for its replacements. But once we know the taste, texture and flavour, it is not at all difficult to replace one cheese for another, after all, we have a wide range of options to choose from. And in fact, you would be surprised to find out that the below listed substitutes can take the place of fontina in almost all aspects, including taste, texture and flavour.
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Health Benefits of Fontina
Listed below are a few health benefits of fontina cheese:
- Contains calcium, zinc and vitamin B-12
- Good cardiovascular health
- Improves mental health
- Smooth skin
- Good for the bones
- Boosts the immune system
- Slows down the signs of aging
- Source of phosphorus and vitamin K2
- Treats abdominal cramps, constipation, nausea, runny nose, low blood pressure, eczema, ill stomach, diarrhea, and rashes ion hives.
7 Best Substitutes for Fontina Cheese
Mozzarella
Mozzarella is used in a variety of foods, in both shredded as well as granted form. People also make use of the smoke version of it, called mozzarella affumicata. It is thus used in the making of soups, salads, pizzas, sandwiches, lasagne and meat
Italian in origin, this cheese is one among the costliest ones. it is also called as string cheese and unlike some other cheese, this one cannot be aged.
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Emmental
Also known as swiss cheese, emmental is nutty, so it is also used as a snack with fruits and fondue. In addition, it is also used for enhancing the taste of different types of sauces or grilled sandwiches. It has a strong odor, acidic flavour, fruity taste and is hard cheese type. Made from a cow’s unpasteurized milk. Although, it is considered to be one of the most difficult cheeses to make, when it comes to production.
It is an ideal option if you are looking out to enhance several types of sauces and grilled sandwiches.
Taleggio
Taleggio is used in the preparation of meat-based foods, including bacon, chicken, ham as well as pizza, bread and sandwiches. It is because of the similarities of the two based on taste, fat content and smell. Taleggio has 48% fat whereas fontina has 45%. In addition to this, both of them have a tangy taste and a strong distinctive smell.
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Cheddar
Cheddar is named after one of the processes in cheese making, known as ‘cheddaring’. It is used in desserts, dips, sandwiches, pizzas, appetizers, casseroles and various kinds of breads. It produces different colours as it is made from skimmed milk as well as whole milk. Not only this, but it is also one of the highest produced cheeses across the globe. To taste its essential flavour, I would suggest you to ripen this cheese a little more.
Havarti
Havarti is very famous as a dessert cheese and is used extensively in making fruits, wines and in making macaronis, sandwiches and pastas. This is also used as a table cheese and is even available in a different form called creamy Havarti. This cheese can also be used alongside different herbs and spices. For better taste, make sure you store it at room temperature.
Provolone
It is most commonly used in pastas, soups, salad dressings as well as in the making of specific sauce recipes. It has a tangy taste, which is why it makes a perfect replacement for fontina. Among many different shapes, the pear shape is the one that is most commonly seen. Apart from that, this too can be used as a cooking cheese option or a grating cheese.
Edam
Belonging to the Netherlands, Edam is used in a variety of foods, including fruit salads, desserts, wines, sauces and soups. It is nutty in flavour, mild in taste, pale yellow in colour and is valued for its low-fat content. It ages and hardens if kept unused for a period of time.
Conclusion
Before substituting fontina, it would be better if you know why want to substitute it in the first place because then it wouldn’t be that difficult for you to make a choice. Apart from that, all the substitutes that have been listed above can be easily purchased from the stores nearby you.
Reference
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030276842889
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jtr.2000