Parmigianao Reggiano cheese is cured for a minimum of 12 months, and the vast majority of it spends at least some time in this warehouse owned by Magazzini Generali delle Tagliate. The cheese is so valuable, that many dairies can take out a bank loan on the value of their stored inventory. The wheels of cheese each weigh approx 40kg, and have to be turned and brushed every 10-20 days to cure properly. The warehouse holds approx. €150M of cheese, and moves 1.3M wheels per year, with an average wheel spending four months here, among other warehouses. 38% of Parmigiano Reggiano is exported from Italy, with USA, France, and Germany being the biggest markets. The consortium that controls Parmigiano Reggiano has been increasing its production quota by 5% annually for the past few years. My guide for the afternoon explained that the Mediterranean philosophy is to continue a tradition of food with a particular characteristic, not to make a commodity.
