European-style double-ply cheese paper, with a sheer wax coating on the outer layer and a breathable film inside, helps keep a hunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano or a slab of Manchego at its best, retarding the spoilage that can occur when cheese suffocates in plastic wrap.
Cheese lovers can now free their favorites from that prison and pamper them. Formaticum, a company in Portland, Ore., is selling cheese wrappers printed with a map showing some American cheese producers, with labels for sealing. They are $5.98 for a package of 15 sheets, each 11 by 14 inches, at Zabar’s; $7 at Stinky Bklyn; $6.95 at Ideal Cheese; $5.95 at Formaggio in the Essex Market; and $8 plus shipping from formaticum.com.
