What Does Cottage Cheese Taste Like?

Cottage cheese seems to be a love or hate type of food.

Many people hate it for its chunky and slightly liquid texture. Others cannot stand the smell, taste, or both.

There are also people who love it for its creaminess and high protein content among other aspects.

However, this article for the people who have never tasted cottage cheese and have yet to develop an opinion about it. Below, will give you an idea of its taste so you can decide if it is something you may wish to try.

Cottage Cheese Taste

The taste and texture of cottage cheese varies based on brand and/or product. There are large curd and small curd cottage cheese products. Additionally, products vary on milkfat (1%, 2%, 4%, fat free, etc.). Cottage cheese with the highest milkfat (4%) in the U.S. will taste the creamiest and is likely tolerated or enjoyed by most people in terms of taste.

In general, cottage cheese has a pronounced milky or creamy taste with a noticeable salty aspect to it. The curds are the most notable feature because they are numerous. Even after several chews you can still the feel curds in your mouth. This is even true with small curd cottage cheese, although the curds are a lot less pronounced. Lower fat varieties like fat free or 1% will typically be less creamy and have a slight sour bite to them.

As you browse the internet, you’ll find various descriptions of the taste of cottage cheese. Some compare it to a tangy variation of milky mozzarella cheese. A Reddit user commented that it draw parallels to queso blanco with an oatmeal-like texture. These descriptions offer you a clearer understanding of the distinct flavor profile of cottage cheese.

Make It Taste Better

There are ways around the texture and taste issues. Cottage cheese can be ran through a food processor to eliminate the curds. Additionally, many different foods like pineapple, peaches, pears, tomatoes and jellies can compliment cottage cheese to make it taste much better. See our article on How To Make Cottage Cheese Taste Better for tips.

Also, some of the liquid can be drained from lower fat cottage products to help reduce the mild sour taste. Admittedly, cottage cheese is not for everyone, but it may be a matter of finding the right product or brand for some people to like it.

What Is Cottage Cheese?

Cottage cheese is produced by coagulating milk from a liquid into a semi-solid to create curds. How does the milk curd? By an enzyme added to milk called rennin, which separates the curd protein (semi-solid) from the whey protein (liquid).

Although a lot of whey is drained during manufacturing, some remains to create that classic cottage cheese texture. Cream, salt, and potentially starch are included as ingredients for many brands. So when “Little Miss Muffet, sat on her tuffet, eating her curds and whey” she was probably eating cottage cheese or a something similar like junket custard.