Cheese is one of those delicate foods that endures endless abuse. We swaddle it in fumey plastic, stuff it in the back of the refrigerator and wonder why it doesn’t taste as good as it did when we sampled it at the cheese shop. What most of us forget is that, like wine and other fermented products, unprocessed cheese is a live food. Once a wheel is cut into chunks or slices, the cheese is much more vulnerable to rapid deterioration. Proper handling and storage is essential to maintaining peak flavor. This two-ply cheese paper from Formaticum is just like the stuff they use to swaddle cheese in France. It’s made to mimic cage-aging conditions, with a layer of wax paper lined with a porous plastic that lets cheese “breathe” without being overexposed to air. You’ll be shocked at how much longer your favorite cheeses stay fresh. A package of 15 sheets and labels is about $9 at your local gourmet shop. You can also order by mail from www.formaticum.com.
