You’d think a one thousand pound piece of cheese would make for an interesting tale.

But a giant piece of provolone in Ottawa is actually only half the story.

Nicastro’s Italian Food Emporium took delivery of the $18,000, 12-foot long cheese on Tuesday. Every year they have a 1,000-pound provolone shipped from Italy. “It’s a Christmas tradition in our family,” says Joe Nicastro. “And we’re going to pass it to our customers in Ottawa.”

But this year’s delivery was extra-special because of the other half of the story, an 82-year-old American named Anthony LoFrisco.

Accompanied by his son, LoFrisco drove 7 hours from Connecticut just to see the giant cheese being unwrapped and cut. He called it “a great moment.”

“It sounds kind of ridiculous looking at a cheese as a great moment, but it is,” he laughs.

LoFrisco is writing a cookbook based on the recipes, and memories, of growing up in Brooklyn with his Italian family. One of his fondest memories is from when he was around 12. He was playing stickball with his friends when someone said that a local store just received a giant cheese. Italian cheese had been scarce during the war.

They dropped everything and ran to see what turned out to be a 1,000 pound provolone. “And I never forgot that image,” he says. “I had that image in my mind for the last 70 years and I never thought I would ever see it again.”

Then an internet search turned up Nicastro’s cheesy tradition. LoFrisco actually stopped the printing of his book just to see it.

He says provolone also reminds him of his father, who would take him around Brooklyn looking for the best he could buy. “That’s what happens in Italian families. Everything is related to food,” he laughs.

Joe Nicastro understands. He treated his new friend as a guest of honour, offering him the first piece of the rare 1,000 pound provolone. “This is really great cheese,” beamed LoFrisco.

Great cheese, and a great final chapter to a priceless memory.  

“You have certain memories when you’re a real youngster,” says LoFrisco. “And some things bring those memories back to you. In my case it happens to be a thousand pound cheese. What can I tell you?”