cottage cheese

Cottage cheese is the fresh, lumpy dairy case regular that people use for breakfast bowls, baking, or a quick protein-heavy snack. By our assessment, it is good at being mild, filling, and easy to season sweet or savory, which makes it more flexible than many other fresh cheeses. The downside is its very texture: the curds are part of the deal, and anyone wanting a smooth spread will never stop noticing them. In practice it is cold from the tub, sometimes a little wet around the edges, and it takes fruit, herbs, pepper, or toast readily. Compared with yogurt it is less tart and more spoonable in a savory direction; compared with ricotta it is cheaper and rougher. The Astrina catalogue files cottage cheese under Dairy, which matches its plain, everyday role in the fridge.