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Giovanni âJohnâ Occhiuto unloaded his maiden wheels of Parmigiano-Reggiano by hand, right off the ship at the Port of Montreal, more than 50 years ago. Those first five wheels satisfied demand in 1963 â but in 2020, it took 2,000. As the owner of Montrealâs Berchicci, importer and distributor of specialty Italian products, Occhiuto has witnessed Canadaâs increasing appetite for the ancient cheese.
âIt evolved over time. When we first started, it was just us Italians that would eat the product,â says Occhiuto. âBack then, you could only buy it in cheese boutiques in Montreal, Toronto. But if you went out of the Italian circle there, it wouldnât be available.â
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