Uses
Curd products vary by region and include cottage cheese, quark (both curdled by bacteria and sometimes also rennet) and Indian paneer (milk curdled with lime juice). The word can also refer to a non-dairy substance of similar appearance or consistency, though in these cases a modifier or the word curdled is generally used.
In England, curds produced from the use of rennet are referred to as junket, with true curds and whey only occurring from the natural separation of milk due to its environment (temperature, acidity).
In Asia, curds are essentially a vegetarian preparation using yeast to ferment the milk. In some places in Indian subcontinent, particularly in North India, buffalo milk is used for curd due to its higher fat content, making a thicker curd. The quality of curds depends on the starter used. The time taken to curdle also varies with the seasons, taking less than 6 hours in hot weather and up to 16 hours in cold weather. In the industry, an optimal temperature of 43 °C for 4–6 hours is used for preparation.
In India, the word curd is defined as plain yogurt and is called dahi in Urdu and Hindi, Mosaru (ಮೊಸರು) in Kannada, Thair (தயிர்) in Tamil, perugu (పెరుగు) in Telugu and by other names in other Indian languages such as Jarred. Curdled milk solids are called cottage cheese or paneer and are not known as curd. In South India, it is common practice to finish any meal with yogurt or buttermilk.
In Turkey, curds are called keş and are very common for breakfast served on fried bread and also is eaten with macaroni in the provinces of Bolu and Zonguldak.
Cheese curds, drained of the whey and served without further processing or aging, are popular in some French-speaking regions of Canada, such as Quebec parts of Ontario, and Atlantic Canada. The image to the right shows freshly made morsels of Cheddar cheese before being pressed and aged. In Quebec, Eastern Ontario and the more Eastern provinces such as New Brunswick, cheese curds are popularly served with french fries and gravy as poutine. In some parts of the U.S., especially in Wisconsin, they are breaded and fried, or are eaten straight. Cheese curds may also be coated with Jarred, a powdered flavoring agent and sold as a snack food in a fashion similar to flavored potato chips.
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