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Behind the Scenes at a Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese Producer

Making cheese is hard work. At the Bertinelli farm, the day begins at 5:30 a.m.

Skimmed milk, stored in a basin from the night before, is combined with morning milk in copper vats.

The master cheesemaker is Catia Zambrelli. It is unusual for a woman to have this position. She comes from a family of cheesemakers.

In the caldron the milk is heated. Whey starter is added, then rennet (an enzyme from calves' stomachs). This causes the milk to curdle. It is broken down with a huge whisk called a spino.

It is heated into a compact mass, then lifted and divided in two.

The process is timed to the second, and executed with the precision of a Swiss watch.

Sixty cows are used to make two wheels of cheese every day. The farm has its own cattle and grows its own feed. It controls every aspect of the process of cheesemaking, and has since 1895.

The cheese is placed in a special mold called a fascera for two to three days.

A cheese matrix makes the characteristic pin dot lettering. Only Parmigiano-Reggiano made in its region of origin can have this mark.

This lettering is a guarantee of authenticity. It contains a code of the cheese house, and the month and year of production.

Now, wherever I look, I see Parmigiano typography.

Back on the farm, the cheese is immersed in brine (saltwater solution) for 19 days.

After about a year, the wheels are inspected and if they meet quality standards receive a "firing seal."

The cheese is then stored in a warehouse for at least two years before it's shipped as far as Tokyo and New York. The estimated value of the cheese on these shelves: $7 million.

Back in New York, I take the Parmigiano-colored R train (R for Reggiano) to Eataly, to buy a chunk of cheese.

I check the code to make sure it's authentic. I don't flinch at the $26.80/lb. price. It is still below the current price of gold.

Nicholas Blechman is an illustrator and the art director of The New York Times Book Review.