In Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region, wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano aren’t just food — they’re currency. Since the 1950s, local bank Credito Emiliano has accepted massive 80-pound wheels of this prized cheese as collateral for loans.

The reason is simple: Parmigiano Reggiano must age for 12 to 36 months before it can be sold, locking cheesemakers’ money into inventory they can’t touch. The bank solves the problem by storing the wheels in secure, climate-controlled vaults until they’re ready. If the loan is repaid, the cheesemaker gets the cheese back. If not, the bank sells it.

At any given time, these vaults can hold hundreds of thousands of wheels, together worth over €100 million, making it one of the tastiest financial systems in the world.