Cottage cheese is a cheese curd product with a mild flavor. It is drained, but not pressed so some whey remains. The curd is usually washed to remove acidity giving sweet curd cheese. It is not aged or colored. Different styles of cottage cheese are made from milks with different fat levels and in small curd or large curd preparations. Cottage cheese which is pressed becomes hoop cheese, farmer cheese, pot cheese or queso blanco.
It is also eaten in salads, with fruit, with fruit puree - such as peach, raspberry, blueberry, pineapple, or strawberry - or as an ingredient in recipes like jello salad and various desserts. Also, it can be used to replace grated cheese or ricotta cheese in most recipes (such as Lasagna). It is popular among dieters and some health food devotees. Cottage cheese is a favorite food among bodybuilders for its high content of casein protein while being relatively low in fat.
The term "cottage cheese" originated because the simple cheese was usually made in cottages from any milk leftover after making butterhttp://everything2.com/index.pl?node=cottage%20cheese. The term was first used in 1848http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=cottage&searchmode=none.
