These high-tech vaults are home to the world’s best Parmesan.
In Italy”s Emilia-Romagna region producers rent the ‘cheese bank’ to protect their treasure from thieves and age it in climate-controlled safes armed with alarms, infrared cameras, and anti-seismic equipment.
The region in Northern Italy is the only one in the world that can legally use the Parmigiano-Reggiano name. Not surprisingly, the hard, dry-aged cheese made from skimmed milk, is a lucrative local commodity.
“The total value of the cheese we have here is estimated at between 120 and 130 million euros” explains Roberto Frignani, the Director of the CREDEM bank.
This edible gold has been targeted by thieves so often because each round of cheese is worth up to 400 euros.
Bank employees play an important role in storing it in optimum conditions.
“The temperature should not exceed 20 degrees, but not too cold either. The ideal is between 16 and 18 degrees. The humidity should also be high but not too high, between 70per cent and 80 percent so that the parmesan can breathe and remove its fat” says bank employee Federico Rotelli.
With such a high price due to its long maturing time which can last from one to three years, it’s one of the most valuable foods in the world!