Lemme define my neurodivergence by asking a question.
Who else here didn't know that Baby Belle cheese wasn't red the first time they tried it?
I bit through the wax and the cheese. In my defense, I'd never had it or _seen_ it before and it's packaging is... A bit much?
Again, to my credit, about 30% through the bite I realized I was eating something _not_ cheese and discovered they come completely coated in red wax.
I'm not weird your cheese is weird.
@401matthall I guess you didn’t go to cheese shops much! I bet that was a shock!
Forgive a friendly small infodump - wrapping cheese in wax lets it retain moisture at the right amount for aging, prevents mold and still allows beneficial gas exchange. And the type of wax affects the cheese aging process in different ways too. Cheesemaking is a fun hobby, though I don’t have the patience to age mine much.
I get annoyed at the extra individual wrapping on babybel cheeses. The wax is sufficient, but maybe shops/transport would have to handle them with more care? At least they’re finally changing to paper, the cellophane is awful.
@401matthall if you get a chance to go to a good cheese shop, definitely look into getting a cheese with vegetable ash. I'm a big fan.
You can get ones that have it externally (which does act like a protective layer a bit like wax does) or internally, which is more just flavour and a nod to tradition.
https://www.thecheesemaker.com/edible-ash-for-cheesemaking-2-lb-package/
Matt Hall
Berdandy