Fontina cheese is a cow’s milk cheese first made in Italy traditionally made from unpasteurized milk; the texture is semihard, smooth, and adorned with small eyes in the body.
Fontina cheese is incredibly rich and creamy in texture.
Fontina cheese has sweet and aromatic with unveiling tones of butter and roasted nuts that lingers on your palate.
14 Best Substitutes for Fontina cheese
Fontina cheese is not readily available in many parts of the world, so this article has listed the best substitutes for Fontina cheese.
Mozzarella Cheese
Mozzarella cheese is a typically southern Italian cheese made from Italian buffalo’s milk.
Fresh mozzarella is commonly white but may differ seasonally to slightly yellow depending on the animal’s diet.
Mozzarella cheese has high moisture content and is largely served the day after it is made.
Low-moisture mozzarella is sold shelf life of six months, and it can also be is refrigerated for up to a month.
Mozzarella cheese is extremely versatile and widely used for most pizza and many pasta dishes; it is also served with sliced tomatoes and basil in Caprese salad.
Summary
Mozzarella cheese can be kept in brine for up to a week or longer when sold vacuum-sealed packages and thus makes an excellent substitute for Fontina cheese.
Gouda Cheese
Gouda cheese is a mild-flavored, yellow cow’s milk cheese traditionally from the Netherlands is one of the most famous cheeses worldwide .
Gouda cheese is available in various forms in both pasteurized or unpasteurized varieties.
The older Gouda cheeses are relatively harder, stronger, and darker and have a buttery and nutty flavor.
Gouda cheese is used in Wines, soups, sauces; it is also added in sandwiches, pasta, macaroni, salads, fondue, and vegetables.
Summary
Gouda cheese is a rich source of calcium, vitamin B12, and zinc and makes a wonderful alternative to Fontina cheese.
Taleggio Cheese
Taleggio is an Italian cheese named after Val Taleggio, is semisoft, washed-rind, smear-ripened.
Taleggio cheese has a thin crust and a strong aroma though it has a comparatively mild flavor with an unusual fruity tang.
Taleggio cheese has a coarse rind, is edible, it also has a creamy interior.
Taleggio cheese is Quick to mature, is ready to eat within 50 days of aging.
Summary
Taleggio cheese is used to prepare meat-based food like ham, bacon, and chicken, making sandwiches, pizzas, and bread-like garlic bread.
Gruyere Cheese
Gruyere upholds a standard of uninhibited quality, entrenched in meadows and grasslands, the canton of Fribourg.
Gruyere cheese is full-bodied, fruity tones; the flavors slowly journey towards earthy and nutty with a soft finale.
Similar to Fontina, Gruyere cheese is manufactured from raw, unpasteurized cow’s milk.
Summary
Gruyere cheese is commonly available in most supermarkets and adds to various pasta, macaroni, sandwiches, and soups.
Montasio Cheese
Montasio cheese originating from the Friuli Venezia Giulia and Veneto provinces of Italy is creamy, unpasteurized cow’s milk.
Montasio cheese was originally a monastery cheese; however, today, it is made only in a specific region of Italy following age-old methods.
Montasio cheese is DOP (PDO) cheese and is aged about 4-6 months with inedible rind.
Montasio cheese is pale yellow with a mellow flavor.
Montasio cheese has a very high-fat content of 32%.
Summary
Montasio cheese replicates the taste and texture similar to Fontina cheese, making it an excellent substitute for fontina cheese.
Havarti Cheese
Havarti or Cream Havarti Native to Denmark is a semisoft Danish cow’s milk cheese.
Havarti cheese has a springy texture with subtle sweet and acidic notes and can be sliced, grilled, or melted.
Havarti cheese is Lusciously smooth and is balanced, and mild enough to suit all palates, with the piquant flavors.
Summary
Havarti cheese harmonizes perfectly with salads, sandwiches, and its own, making it an excellent substitute for fontina cheese.
Vacherin Cheese
Vacherin cheese type of mountain cheese is made from pasteurized cow’s milk.
Two main types of French or Swiss Vacherin cheeses exist the creamy Mont d’Or (French) or the Vacherin Fribourgeous (Swiss).
The Mont d’Or is very fat and creamy and works as an excellent substitute for pasta bakes, pies, or melting.
Vacherin Fribourgeo is a firmer cheese made in the Fribourg canton of Switzerland, where Gruyère cheese originates and has a slightly acidic, resiny flavor.
Summary
Vacherin cheese tastes delicious with wines such as Beaujolais Nouveau, Côtes du Jura and Champagne.
Emmental Cheese
Emmental, Emmentaler, or Emmenthal, Originally from the heartland of the Emme Valley, in the canton of Bern in Switzerland., is a yellow, medium-hard cheese.
Emmental cheese is aromatic, sweet, and delightfully intricate in flavor.
Emmentaler is deeply versatile and has no traces of acidity, and features an even rind with a firm and dense body.
Summary
Emmental cheese is an excellent choice for replicating the nutty flavors of Fontina.
Provolone Cheese
Provolone is an Italian cheese; semihard cheese is known to take on various shapes and sizes.
Provolone has simple ingredients, but a rich taste contains high amounts of calcium and protein.
Summary
Provolone cheese goes along with full-bodied and aged red wines and is also used in hot chutneys, homemade bread, and flatbreads.
Parmesan
Parmigiano-Reggiano is an Italian hard, grainy cheese produced from cow’s milk.
Parmesan cheese is a DOP cheese that can only be produced in Italy, including Bologna, Manua, Modena, and Parma.
The rich, sharp flavor, crumbly texture, and intense aroma come after aging cheese for at least two years.
Summary
Parmesan melts easily and can be added to pastries, pieces of bread, or baked pasta dishes and works as an excellent substitute for Fontina cheese.
Cheddar Cheese
Cheddar Cheese is made in Devon, England, from the milk of cows grazing on pastures all year round in England’s Devon countryside.
Cheddar cheese is the most famous cheese globally, an outstanding example of the close-textured hard cheese.
Cheddar cheese off-white in color, sometimes sharp-tasting, natural cheese.
Summary
Cheddar Cheese is great for making sandwiches and pizzas; it is also perfect for making appetizers, casseroles, and various kinds of bread.
Edam Cheese
Edam, its origins in named after the town of Edam in the province of North Holland, the northern regions of the Netherlands, is a semihard cheese.
Edam is commonly sold in flat-ended spheres with a pale yellow interior, creamy textures, and milder .
Edam cheese is considered a delicacy ages and travels well and does not spoil; it only hardens.
Summary
Edam cheeses a good accompaniment for fruits and also used in fruit salads.
Nutritional Yeast
Nutritional yeast is a unique vegetarian food that has a pleasantly cheesy flavor and powerful nutritional benefits.
Nutritional yeast, a species of yeast known as Saccharomyces cerevisiae , is grown specifically to be a food product often used in vegan cooking.
Nutritional yeast has a cheesy, savory flavor and contains protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Summary
Nutritional yeast has a rich, strong flavor making an excellent Fontina cheese.
Tofu
Tofu, made by coagulating soy milk and pressing, is also known as bean curd.
Tofu can be silken, soft, firm, extra, or super firm.
Tofu is a powerful source of protein and contains all nine essential amino acids.
Summary
Tofu is a vegan source of protein and can be dips, sauces, pies, and many pasta dishes.
FAQs
Fontina can be buttery and a bit fruity, is firmer, more intense, and nuttier, and always made of raw milk; cheese great melting cheese that is often used to make cheese fondue or baked cheese dips.
Fontina is a wonderfully creamy cheese ranging from semisoft to semihard that melts nicely into soups, chowders, pasta, pizzas, or sauces.
Bottom Line
Fontina cheese is distinctly known for its creamy, nutty, and tart taste that it imparts to the food it’s added to; however, there are many substitutes available in place of Fontina cheese with similar use and preference.
I hope this list helps find you your suitable replacement for Fontina.
Also, do share your experience and recipes in the comments section.