What is Cottage Cheese?
Cottage cheese, popular by the name of “Dutch cheese“, is the softest version of cheese. Unlike Cheddar or Parmesan variants, Cottage Cheese doesn’t follow the process of aging or ripening.
The usual process of extracting Cottage Cheese involved mixing the milk (usually nonfat) with an acid or acid-producing culture. This process separates the liquid whey protein from the milk curds.
The Origin of Cottage Cheese
Cottage cheese is said to be the first “made in America” cheese. However, in reality, Cottage Cheese is a European tradition, as they have been extracting farm-fresh cheese from naturally sourced milk for ages, and was bought to America through immigrants.
And by the eighteenth century, the term “cottage cheese” had entered the American dictionary. Now cottage cheese is available in both plain and flavored variations; including fruit and herb flavors all across the United States of America.
What Does Cottage Cheese Taste Like?
Cottage cheese is made from cow’s milk and has milky, slightly acidic flavor notes. The texture is thick, soft, creamy, lumpy, and spoonable but salty.
Ironically, the flavor of cottage cheese is not everyone’s favorite. It has a mild flavor but an unusual smell. Many people are put off by the aroma of this version of cheese. At the same time, others may have issues with the presence of curds and find it bothersome to chew multiple times.
In reality, the milk fat content in cottage cheese determines its flavor. Cottage cheese with a higher fat level (around 4%) has a creamy flavor, whereas low-fat (1% or fat-free) cottage cheese has a noticeable sour flavor.
Health Benefits of Cottage Cheese
Recommended for Children
Despite all the odds cottage cheese is highly recommended for children of growing age as well as adults for its nutritional value. Following are some of the health benefits Cottage Cheese offers.
Boosts Bone Strength
Cottage cheese offers a significant amount of protein, calcium, and phosphorus. The combination of these nutrients contributes to increased bone strength.
Helps With Weight-Lose
Cottage cheese is an excellent weight-loss agent because of its high calcium and proteins, and low-fat content. Furthermore, it helps to fulfill the appetite, thus aiding in weight reduction through low food intake.
We all know that proteins serve as the best agent for muscles growth and recovery, whereas, calcium is proven to reduce fat buildup, therefore, it serves best for bodybuilders.
Prevent Insulin Resistance
Insulin resistance is one of the main causes of diabetes and heart disease. The good news is that dairy calcium-rich foods like cottage cheese help to reduce insulin resistance.
Improves Digestion
Cottage cheese aids digestion as well. It is high in phosphorus, which helps in digestion and excretion. Cottage cheese contains magnesium, which has a laxative effect and prevents constipation.
What Goes Best With Cottage Cheese?
There are so many ways to enjoy cottage cheese, and you can be as creative as you like with it. Here are a few combinations to enjoy the delight that Cottage cheese provides.
Fruits
You can make health powerhouse fruit bowls by adding your cottage cheese the following;
- Berries
- Sliced bananas
- Apple chunks with sprinkled cinnamon
- Melon chunks or balls
- Sliced pineapple (fresh or canned)
- Peach or Avocado slices.
TIP: Try adding some apple sauce or apple butter to further glorify the taste of your desserts.
Salad
Add Cottage cheese to create a light and healthy salad to go with your main course. Here is the quick process you can follow;
- Chop onions, tomatoes, and cucumbers
- Add fat cottage cheese
- Squeeze a lime
Tada’ – you have you yourself a light, yet healthy salad on the go.
Smoothies
If you want to give your smoothies an extra boost of protein you can add cottage cheese in either green smoothies or your regular fruit smoothies.
Pasta
Cottage cheese gives your pasta that rich and creamy texture that we all admire. So enjoy a hearty cheesy meal with friends and family.
Baked Potatoes
Get your baked potatoes out of the oven, add some extra salsa and cottage cheese, and you have a “Cottage Cheese Salsa Baked Potatoes” side dish to serve for your guests. Furthermore, you can top stew, roasted vegetables, and leftover meat with Cottage cheese to add some twist to your regular meals.
Unusual Way of Storage
Place the carton of cottage cheese or sour cream in the refrigerator upside down. Let me kill your curiosity and tell you what it does? By inverting the tub, a vacuum effect is created. This prevents bacteria growth that may potentially spoil the food.
Conclusion
Cottage cheese has all the goodness you want to have in your diet. Now that you know, what does cottage cheese taste like? It is easy to create your own recipes with it. From desserts to pancake filling, main courses, and appetizers, you can enjoy cottage cheese with just about anything.
TIP: A glass of red wine along with wheat tortillas and a cottage cheese dip. That’s what I call a perfect cheesy evening.