🧀 Valle d'Aosta Fromadzo
Also known as: Fromadzo, Vallée d'Aoste Fromadzo
Valle d'Aosta Fromadzo is a semi-hard Italian PDO cheese made from partly skimmed cow's milk in the Aosta Valley.
Valle d'Aosta Fromadzo is a semi-hard Italian cheese with a protected designation of origin (PDO), made from partly skimmed cow's milk. It comes from the Aosta Valley, a mountain region in north-western Italy. In the local Franco-Provençal dialect, fromadzo simply means cheese.
History. On high mountain farms in the Aosta Valley the richest milk went into butter and Fontina, while the skimmed milk became an everyday cheese for the family. Fromadzo keeps that tradition alive.
How it is made. Milk from two or more milkings is partly skimmed by letting the cream rise, coagulated with rennet; the curd is cut, moulded, pressed and salted. The wheels are small and flat, with a thin rind.
Ripening. At least 60 days in cool, humid cellars. Young cheese is softer, with a sweetish milky taste; longer-aged cheese becomes firmer, saltier and more pronounced.
How to eat it. Fromadzo is sliced with rye bread or added to soups and polenta; mountain cooking often melts cheese into hot dishes. On a cheese board it pairs with light Aosta Valley reds (see Wine and cheese). It belongs to the Semi-hard cheeses, Italian cheeses and Protected cheese names groups.
Why it matters to you. Fromadzo is the leaner neighbour of Fontina from the same valley. The name Valle d'Aosta Fromadzo has been protected in the EU since 1996: only cheese from the Aosta Valley made to the specification may carry it.
Facts
| Raw material | Partly skimmed cow's milk |
|---|---|
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Aosta Valley |
| Duration | At least 60 days |
| Legal basis | EU PDO since 21.06.1996, PDO-IT-1504 1 |
How it connects to Cheese
🧀 Valle d'Aosta Fromadzo → kind of → 🧀 Semi-hard cheeses → kind of → 🧀 Cheese
Links
- Made from which milk
- 🥛 Cow's milk
- Part of
- 🧀 Semi-hard cheeses, 🏷️ Protected cheese names, 🇮🇹 Italian cheeses
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Fromadzo mean?
In the local Franco-Provençal dialect of the Aosta Valley, fromadzo simply means cheese.
How long is Valle d'Aosta Fromadzo aged?
At least 60 days; longer-aged cheese is firmer and saltier.
Is it true that Fromadzo is the same as Fontina?
No. Both come from the Aosta Valley, but Fromadzo is made from partly skimmed milk and Fontina from whole milk.
Similar
🧀 Spressa delle Giudicarie · 🧀 Ossolano · 🧀 Casciotta d'Urbino · 🧀 Toma Piemontese · 🧀 Castelmagno · 🧀 Monte Veronese
ℹ️ Dairy products contain lactose and milk proteins: if you are lactose intolerant or allergic to milk protein, ask a doctor.