Although the origins of Fontina cheese go back to ancient times, it was not until 1700 that the name Fontina first appears in an historical document. The etymology of the name, however, is a matter of some dispute. Fontina is a cylindrical semi-cooked, full-fat, semi-hard cheese. It is made from whole cow milk drawn from the first milking. The rind is thin and close-textured, while the paste is rather soft and elastic and varies in colour from whitish-yellow to yellow. The cheese has a distinctively sweet taste. The fat contents may not be less than 45 per cent of the dry material. The production zone is the entire territory of Valle d'Aosta region.