From the Cheese Portraits series.

This Giant 8lb wedge of extra aged provolone was brought back from the west coast Fancy Food Show last month, by my friend Yoav Perry. He had to ditch a lot of treasures to afford the extra weight and room in his luggage. This beautiful specimen was aged 42 months and comes from Luigi Guffanti. Davide Guffanti handed this to Yoav to bring back to Philadelphia and to my studio! Guffanti is one of the best affineurs in Italy. They're also known for their Parmigiano Reggiano and they export hundreds of great cheeses.

This large format cheese is ideal for the long ripening period, to avoid losing moisture and aging producing the crystals and cracks that make your mouth water before you even taste it. They are called "mandarone" (large tangerine), due to their similarity of form.

Yoav gave me one fo his more beautiful cheese knives, appropriate for breaking down a hunk of such a hard, aged cheese. The Italian made Bharbjt knife is a work of art, in and of itself, and I was glad to add it to this composition.

Origin: Italy

Price: $1,200