Cottage cheese is a protein fermented milk product obtained by heating kefir (sour milk that has separated the whey) and then removing the whey. Cottage cheese is classified according to its fat content into: fat (18%), semi-fat (9%) and low-fat cottage cheese (no more than 3%). Soft dietary cottage cheese is also classified as semi-fat.

Based on the method of coagulating milk proteins, cottage cheese is divided into acidic and acid-rennet. Acid cottage cheese is usually prepared from skim milk. In this case, the protein coagulates under the influence of lactic acid, which is formed during the process of lactic acid fermentation, which develops as a result of introducing starter cultures into milk.

Acid-rennet curd differs from acid curd in that during its production, rennet (or pepsin) and lactic acid bacteria starters are used simultaneously to coagulate milk proteins.

According to the Roman writer and scientist Marcus Terence Varro, this product was known in Ancient Rome. The milk was then fermented with a curd, which was removed from the stomach of calves, kids or lambs, fed only with mother's milk.

For quite a long time, cottage cheese in Rus' was called cheese, and dishes made from it were called cheese (hence the name “syrniki”, although they are made from cottage cheese). It is unknown where this name came from, but it was so firmly entrenched that it did not disappear even after the appearance of hard (rennet) cheeses in Russia. Cottage cheese has always been one of the most revered products among the Slavs. They ate it almost every day. The starting raw material was ordinary yogurt, a pot of which was placed in a not very hot oven for several hours. Then it was taken out and the contents were poured into a linen cone-shaped bag. The whey was filtered off, and the bag of cottage cheese was placed under a press.

However, cottage cheese prepared in this way could not be stored for long, and refrigerators were not yet known. During the period when milk yields were good, and, finally, during Lent, the peasants accumulated quite a lot of cottage cheese. To prevent it from spoiling, people came up with a rather original way of preserving it - the finished (from the press) cottage cheese was again placed in the oven for several hours, then under the press, and so on twice. When it became completely dry, it was placed tightly in clay pots and ghee was poured on top. Such cottage cheese could be stored in the cellar for months; it could be taken with you on a long journey.

Cottage cheese was eaten salted and unsalted, sometimes mixed with milk, wine or honey.

You can store cottage cheese for no more than two or three days at a temperature of 0-8°C. At the same time, it is necessary to reduce access to air.

It is best to store cottage cheese in an enamel or glass container with a lid, slightly kneading. Homemade cottage cheese can be cut in the freezer for more than a month, although it loses a little taste. You cannot store cottage cheese in plastic bags.

Useful properties of cottage cheese

Cottage cheese is an excellent milk concentrate with a large amount of calcium salts. It contains 14 to 18% well-balanced protein. Cottage cheese has neither tissue nor cellular structure. This sets it apart from animal protein sources such as fish, meat and poultry. Curd flakes are easily digestible and almost completely digested.

Cottage cheese can contain up to 20% fat, but dietary low-fat varieties are also available. It is especially rich in methionine, an essential amino acid that has a lipotropic effect. It lowers cholesterol levels in the body and, most importantly, prevents fatty liver, which can occur as a result of exposure of the body to strong toxins or certain medications. When treating hereditary muscular dystrophies, patients are loaded with large doses of anabolic steroids. To prevent the possible toxic effect of steroids on the liver, such patients must receive at least 300 g of cottage cheese per day.

In addition to essential amino acids (proteins), cottage cheese is rich in vitamins (especially , , , B2, B6 and B12), folic acid, calcium, iron, sodium, magnesium, copper, zinc, fluorine and phosphorus salts. It is thanks to these compounds that cottage cheese is so well absorbed. Pregnant women and nursing mothers will not find a better source of calcium and other microelements than cottage cheese. It is recommended to give cottage cheese to a child from 5-7 months. Low-fat cottage cheese made from milk that has not been subjected to prolonged heating is ideal for baby food. Cottage cheese is necessary for the growth and restoration of all body tissues, especially bone tissue. It is useful for the functioning of the nervous system, cardiac activity and blood formation.

Cottage cheese as a food product is necessary for everyone, especially children and the elderly. It is part of diets for the treatment of liver diseases, atherosclerosis and hypertension.

Cottage cheese is widely used in the healing feeding of patients with gastric and duodenal ulcers, chronic gastritis, chronic gallbladder diseases, pancreatitis, and intestinal ailments. It is included in almost any diet.

In terms of the amount of calcium and phosphorus salts, as well as their physiologically favorable ratio, cottage cheese stands out among other food products: it contains approximately 0.4%. It should be added that the calcium content makes cottage cheese an indispensable product for tuberculosis, bone fractures, diseases of the hematopoietic system, and rickets. Cottage cheese promotes the secretion of urine, so it is recommended for hypertension, heart disease, kidney disease, etc. Preparing cottage cheese is not difficult and, in principle, remains the same as many centuries ago.

Granular cottage cheese does not spoil longer and is larger in volume than buttery cottage cheese. Dietary cottage cheese is very useful for patients with diabetes, weakened patients, those who have suffered injuries and burns, and those with heart disease.

Thanks to its healing composition, cottage cheese has healing properties. Casein contained in cottage cheese can replace animal proteins and has great nutritional value. The healing composition of cottage cheese strengthens bone tissue and protects against atherosclerosis. Cottage cheese is included in many diets. It does not contain purine, so cottage cheese is recommended for people with impaired purine metabolism - the elderly. Cottage cheese has excellent abilities: it strengthens the nervous system, restores cartilage and bone tissue.

For gastrointestinal diseases, cottage cheese is used for medicinal purposes, because ground, homogeneous cottage cheese is very easily digestible. In such cases, choose low-fat or dietary cottage cheese; cottage cheese with a consistency similar to sour cream is suitable, the most important thing is that the acidity is as low as possible. The acidity of regular cottage cheese is also high for patients with ulcers or gastritis. It is best for people with such diseases to choose unleavened cottage cheese. You can get such cottage cheese even at home. Add half a liter of kefir to 1.5 liters of just boiled milk. Throw the resulting mixture onto a sieve - the cottage cheese is ready. Unleavened cottage cheese can also be mixed with sour cream.

Cottage cheese has also been used in folk medicine. It is used to treat pneumonia and bronchitis. To do this, make a compress from sour cottage cheese: 200g of cottage cheese is mixed with a tablespoon of honey. The resulting mixture is spread in an even layer on the fabric and covered on top. The compress is applied to the back, covered with clean paper and a layer of cotton wool. This compress is usually done at night.

Dangerous properties of cottage cheese

Cottage cheese is contraindicated in case of individual intolerance. In addition, it is not recommended to abuse it if you have kidney diseases. This is explained by the fact that it contains too much protein, which significantly loads the body's excretory systems.

In addition, it is important to remember that cottage cheese with high fat content increases cholesterol levels in the blood and, as a result, leads to the development of atherosclerosis and obesity.

You should not eat spoiled cottage cheese (the shelf life of homemade cottage cheese is 36 hours, and the shelf life of cottage cheese bought in a store is up to 5 days), as this can cause intestinal infections.

It is believed that the healthiest cottage cheese is the one that was prepared at home. Be sure to watch this video if you want to learn how to properly make delicious and tender cottage cheese yourself.

Cottage cheese is “solid milk”, a traditional fermented milk dish with high value for human health. It is produced by removing the whey from fermented milk. In some countries it is considered to be a type of soft young cheese, and they really have a lot in common. In Russian culture, cottage cheese is a separate product, revered for its healing properties and high nutritional value.

By methods of product production

The product is produced in two main ways: traditional and separate. Traditional production allows you to get two types of cottage cheese:

1. Acidic, usually prepared from skim milk by introducing starter cultures into it. Formed under the influence of lactic acid.
2. Acid-rennet is produced by using rennet or pepsin together with cultures of lactic acid bacteria to coagulate milk protein.

The separate production method means that purified milk is separated into skim milk and cream with a fat content of 50-55%. Using the acid-rennet coagulation process, skim milk is produced from milk, which is then cooled and mixed with cream. Using this method, you can obtain a product with any fat content, for example, soft dietary and peasant cottage cheese.

Types of cottage cheese with different properties

Based on the lipid content of the product, it is divided into four categories:

• low fat (up to 1.8%);
• low-fat or semi-bold (2-3.8%);
• classic (4-18%);
• fat (19-23%).

Cottage cheese is prepared using cream and table salt. The addition of consistency stabilizers is not allowed; rennet imparts hardness to large grains. It is added to pasteurized milk pre-fermented with lactic acid streptococci along with calcium chloride.

Dietary cottage cheese is produced by adding a solution of citric acid, calcium chloride and starter culture to skim milk. To obtain table cottage cheese, a mixture of buttermilk and skim milk is fermented with a pure culture of lactic acid streptococci. The product may also have additives (raisins, candied fruits, nuts, dried fruits, chocolate), and be produced in the form of sweet mass, cheese curds, creams and cakes.

The production of calcined cottage cheese involves adding a 10% calcium chloride solution to fermented milk, which makes it possible to artificially increase the proportion of the mineral in the product and, accordingly, the benefits of cottage cheese for the human skeleton. It has a uniform consistency and a relatively bland taste due to low acidity.

Warning: The daily intake of calcined product should not exceed 100 g for an adult; large doses can be harmful to the body. Its introduction into the children's diet must be agreed with the pediatrician.

Types of product by origin

The origin of the product is determined by the type of animal from which the milk for fermentation is obtained. The most popular is curd made from cow's milk, followed by goat's milk, and other varieties are much less common. Cottage cheese made from sheep's milk is tasty, unusual and very healthy.

Albumin curd

A special type of product is albumin curd. It is produced from whey, its main protein is not casein, like any “regular” cottage cheese, but albumin, whey protein. It goes well with fruits and herbs, and is widely used for the production of confectionery products.

Homemade cottage cheese

The benefits of homemade cottage cheese and its taste are difficult to overestimate. It is fresh, natural, and does not contain stabilizers or other foreign substances. It can be purchased from small private farms or prepared independently from raw or pasteurized milk.

Homemade cottage cheese recipe

Pour fresh whole milk into an enamel pan and place in a dark place to sour (the process takes about 24 hours). Heat the curdled milk in a water bath until the whey separates and curd clots appear, let it cool. Place the resulting mixture in a colander or hang it in a gauze bag to drain the liquid.

Video: Homemade cottage cheese recipe

Useful properties and contraindications

Cottage cheese brings great benefits as a source of complete protein, which is easily absorbed by the human body. It requires significantly less effort from the digestive system than whole milk or yogurt. The dish is used as part of diets in the treatment of obesity, heart disease, atherosclerosis, hypertension, disorders of the stomach, liver, kidneys, and pulmonary tuberculosis.

Cottage cheese diets are recommended for athletes to gain muscle mass, especially during intense training. The product has a beneficial effect on fat metabolism and produces a diuretic effect. Regular consumption of cottage cheese for 6 months helps to increase the amount of testosterone in men by 50%.

Cottage cheese calcium is indispensable for children during periods of active growth and formation of teeth and bones, for older people - in order to prevent osteoporosis. It is well processed by the body. The product also promotes hemoglobin synthesis and restoration of the nervous system.

The benefits of albumin cottage cheese for the body include maintaining immunity and stimulating metabolism, cleaning the bile ducts and restoring liver tissue. It improves vision, removes cholesterol, improves the quality of milk of nursing mothers, and is useful for pregnant women and diabetics.

Video: “Living healthy!”: Elena Malysheva’s opinion on the benefits of cottage cheese

Using cottage cheese for weight loss

Cottage cheese, especially albumin cottage cheese, is indispensable for people suffering from excess body weight. It helps remove excess fluid from the body and speed up metabolism. The large amount of protein in the product makes it easy to satisfy hunger, preserve and build muscle tissue, while getting rid of fat.

Warning: To lose weight, you should use a product with a fat content of no more than 5%, otherwise it will not bring the expected benefits.

Recipe for high-protein dish "Belip" ("without lipids")

Compound:
Cod (fillet without skin)
Low-fat cottage cheese without salt
Bulb onions
Raw egg white

Preparation:
Mix cod, cottage cheese and onion in equal proportions and pass through a meat grinder, add the white of a raw egg, and prepare meatballs or casserole from the resulting mixture.

Contraindications to the use of cottage cheese

Cottage cheese is harmful to health in case of an allergy to its components or individual intolerance to the product. You should include it in the menu with caution in case of kidney disease, and avoid excesses. Regular consumption of cottage cheese slightly reduces the level of serotonin in the brain. You can compensate for it with dates, bananas, soybeans and lentils, eggs and tomatoes.

Cottage cheese: rules for selecting and storing the product

Fresh cottage cheese usually has a slightly spreadable, crumbly and soft consistency. Whey may be present in small quantities, and milk protein particles of different diameters may be present. The taste and smell should be pure, characteristic of fermented milk products, and the color should be uniformly white, with a slight creamy tint.

A slight bitterness of the product, especially in winter, and a woody taste are acceptable. Attention should be drawn to signs that indicate damage to the product or a violation of the technological process of its production and that can cause harm to the human body:

1. A musty, unclean smell and taste are evidence of the work of putrefactive bacteria that have multiplied as a result of violation of storage rules, production conditions, or the use of inactive starter.
2. Too sour taste is the result of lactic fermentation; its causes may be insufficient and untimely cooling, excessively long pressing, the content of disinfectants or detergents, or antibiotics in the milk.
3. The smell and taste of vinegar arises from the activity of acetic acid bacteria and is a consequence of storing the product at elevated temperatures.
4. A rancid taste means the presence of mold and microorganisms in the food, which can happen with fatty cottage cheese if the milk is not pasteurized at an insufficient temperature.
5. A bitter tint is a clear sign that the cow ate grass or hay of a peculiar taste (wormwood); it can also indicate the presence of putrefactive bacteria and an increased content of pepsin.
6. A yeasty taste, “blowing” of the lid of a container or package are consequences of the action of yeast during long-term storage of an insufficiently cooled product. The cause of swelling can also be E. coli.
7. The “rubber” consistency of grained cottage cheese suggests the introduction of an excessive dose of rennet during its production or fermentation of milk at elevated temperatures.
8. A large amount of whey is released from the curd when it is not pressed sufficiently.
9. Mold and mucus in the product appears as a result of its storage in damp conditions and loose packaging.
10. The bland taste of cottage cheese is caused by the use of low-active sourdough.

Long-term storage of cottage cheese is impossible even at a low temperature of 0-2°C. If frozen, it can be stored for 6-7 months at a constant temperature of -18°C.

At a temperature of 2-6°C in the refrigerator, cottage cheese and curd products are stored for 36 hours; for a low-fat product with stabilizers, the shelf life is 7 days, for heat-treated products - 2 weeks. Increasing the shelf life in this case reduces its benefit to the body.

Advice: If the quality of cottage cheese has deteriorated during storage or freezing, it can be improved by mixing it with cream. Soaking it in milk for 2 hours and then squeezing it out also helps to refine the product.

Composition of the product

Cottage cheese is rich in micro- and macroelements, contains some vitamins and a lot of protein. Depending on the fat content, the composition of the product varies, as does its calorie content. The energy value of cottage cheese 0.6% is 88 kcal, soft dietary cottage cheese 4% is 136 kcal, 9% is 169 kcal, 18% is 232 kcal.

Fatty types of cottage cheese are rich in vitamins A and E, but contain less B vitamins than low-fat varieties. There is slightly less calcium and phosphorus in the low-fat product, and the amount of other mineral salts also varies slightly.

Nutritional value of low-fat cottage cheese 0.6% (per 100 g of product)

It is used in many diets, used in cosmetology for the purpose of rejuvenation, and contains a storehouse of useful vitamins and microelements that affect the internal functions of the body.

What does cottage cheese consist of?

Most of all, cottage cheese contains protein and calcium. Protein is the basis of life, calcium is the basis of bone tissue.

The composition of the product varies depending on the type of raw materials used in production and the fat content.

In 100 gr. cottage cheese contains:

• 15 gr. squirrel;
• 18 gr. fats;
• 2.9 gr. carbohydrates;
• more than 50 gr. water.

Half-fat cottage cheese has more protein (18 grams), but less fat, while low-fat cottage cheese has a lot of water and practically no fat, but more than 20 grams of protein.

Cottage cheese contains vitamins B, H, C, E, and PP, as well as vitamin A. Minerals include: iron, phosphorus, choline, zinc, sodium, chlorine, calcium, potassium, magnesium, fluorine, selenium, copper, cobalt and manganese. Almost all of them are well absorbed by the body.

Useful properties of cottage cheese

The protein contained in the product can replace vegetable protein, so it is suitable for the full growth of muscle mass. Those who constantly eat cottage cheese reduce the risk of atherosclerosis several times; it helps to generally strengthen the nervous system and supplies bones with calcium. The product is very popular among bodybuilders - they eat it every day.

Nutritionists urge to “include” cottage cheese in the diet for diseases of the liver and gallbladder, pancreatitis, gastritis, hypertension, duodenal and stomach ulcers.

Many doctors advise parents to “include” cottage cheese in their children’s diet. The calcium and phosphate salts contained in the composition have a positive effect on the body, help strengthen tooth enamel, the proper development of bone tissue and strengthen the body's immune forces.

The milk protein present in cottage cheese promotes the formation of new cells in the child's body, so children should eat this product regularly.

Daily consumption of cottage cheese helps improve metabolism in the body. It is well known that this product is indispensable for pregnant and nursing mothers. Elderly people also need it. In addition, it should be eaten by everyone who has problems with the gastrointestinal tract, central nervous system and metabolic disorders: indigestion, constipation, and so on.

Cottage cheese contains antibacterial substances. They normalize microflora, and lactic acid bacteria promote the absorption of calcium and phosphorus and the production of vitamin B.

Application in cosmetology

Cottage cheese can be used not only for food, it is effectively used in cosmetology. There it is used as a rejuvenating and nourishing mask for the whole body, face and neck. Beauty recipes based on cottage cheese have been known since ancient times; it is from there that they came to the modern world.

Cottage cheese can be used by any woman, no matter what type of skin she has. It slows down the aging process and allows you to remain beautiful a little longer. Many people know about this and prepare softening and regenerating masks at home that really give results.

How to prepare a mask?

If you have dry or normal skin, you can use a curd and sour cream mask every day. It is applied for twenty minutes. The mask helps eliminate pigmentation.

For oily skin

Take two spoons of curd, mix with serum and apply on your face. Leave for fifteen minutes, then rinse with green brewed tea.

If your skin lacks vitamins, use this recipe: mix cottage cheese, kiwi, black tea and olive oil. Apply the mask to your face, wait about fifteen minutes, then rinse with warm water.

A mixture of kefir, lemon juice and cottage cheese will help give your face freshness and a healthy color.

A mixture of sour cream, cottage cheese and sea salt will help rejuvenate your face.

Calorie content

The calorie content of cottage cheese depends on the fat content. In fatty cottage cheese 230 kcal per 100 g. product, in bold – 135-160 kcal. Low-fat product has the least calories - 90-105 kcal, it is also recommended for use by those who want to lose weight.

There is also granular cottage cheese, it is stored a little longer, and 100 gr. The product contains 150 kcal.

Low-fat cottage cheese is easily digestible with almost any food, and its low content of fat and carbohydrates is a good opportunity to use the product as a dietary food. You can “sit” on cottage cheese all day once a week, and this diet can be alternated with others.

However, with frequent consumption of low-fat cottage cheese, health problems may begin. Hair and skin will be the first to be affected.

How to choose cottage cheese?

A common problem is buying expired or low-quality cottage cheese. Please inspect the packaging carefully before purchasing. There should be no erased traces of paint on it, it should be intact, and the production and expiration dates should be clearly visible.

Cottage cheese should not have a strong sour smell.

Compound

The composition of the cottage cheese should be as follows:

• cream;
• milk;
• calcium chloride;
• leaven;
• rennet enzymes.

Also give preference to packages that indicate GOST rather than TU. In this case, the likelihood of counterfeit goods is less.

What should I do if I buy cottage cheese by weight?

Try to buy cottage cheese in the store where you bought it before and liked its taste.

So remember some rules:

• product color – white-cream, without a bluish tint;
• if you have the opportunity to taste the cottage cheese (you were allowed) - do it. It should not be very sour, and the smell should be pleasant;
• consistency – homogeneous;
• a yellow tint indicates that flour or sugar has been added to the cottage cheese.

How to store cottage cheese?

Russian name for the curd obtained after heating and straining sour milk. For most peoples, the product of milk coagulation is called cheese, while in Russian only the product of long-term processing of cottage cheese is called cheese... Culinary dictionary

cottage cheese - Cottage cheese / and cottage cheese /. Morphemic-spelling dictionary

cottage cheese - noun, number of synonyms: 9 biolact 2 butenya 7 doufu 1 dairy product 23 product 75 suzme 2 cottage cheese 1 tofu 1 eremchek 1 Dictionary of Russian synonyms

Curd - A lactic acid product (See Lactic acid products) prepared by fermenting milk with lactic acid bacteria (See Lactic acid bacteria) and removing the whey. Depending on the source raw material (whole or skim milk) there are... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

cottage cheese - Cottage cheese, cottage cheese, cottage cheese, cottage cheese, cottage cheese, cottage cheese, cottage cheese, cottage cheese, cottage cheese, cottage cheese, cottage cheese, cottage cheese, cottage cheese Zaliznyak's Grammar Dictionary

cottage cheese - cottage cheese see cottage cheese. Etymological Dictionary of Max Vasmer

Cottage cheese - It is usually obtained from curdled milk by heating it for several hours at a temperature not exceeding 100°, during which the milk casein, and partly its albumin, coagulates through the combined action of lactic acid and high temperature... Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron

cottage cheese - Obsesslav. Suf. derivative (suf. -og, cf. pie) from the same base that create, tserkovoslav. creation "form", creature. Wed. Italian formaggio "cheese" and lat. forma “image, form.” Cottage cheese literally means “milk made solid.” Shansky Etymological Dictionary

cottage cheese - Cottage cheese -a (-u); COOK, -a (-y); m. A food product obtained from milk by fermenting it and separating the whey. Fatty, low-fat t. Fresh, sour t. Mashed t. Pancakes with cottage cheese. Make cheesecakes from cottage cheese. Calcined... Kuznetsov's Explanatory Dictionary

cottage cheese - cottage cheese m. cottage cheese novg. southern cheese (from create, see Shimkevich.) thick or hard particles of milk, which, having curdled, curdled, are separated from the whey; sweet or unleavened cottage cheese from which cheeses are made; our cottage cheese made from sour, fermented milk... Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary

cottage cheese - TV'OROG (cottage cheese ·reg.), cottage cheese (cottage cheese), pl. no, husband A mass of coagulated, condensed particles of sour milk, pressed from whey, used for food. Fresh cottage cheese with sour cream was served for breakfast. Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

cottage cheese - -a (-u) and cottage cheese, -a (-u), m. A food product obtained from milk by fermenting it and separating the whey. Fat cottage cheese. □ The hostess brought out cheesecakes with cottage cheese for the husbands to have breakfast. N. Nekrasov, Who lives well in Rus'. Small academic dictionary

cottage cheese - COOK, a lactic acid product prepared by fermenting cow's milk with lactic acid bacteria and then removing the whey. Characterized by high nutritional values. properties and good digestibility. Agricultural Dictionary

cottage cheese - Derived from the same base as create in the meaning of “dissolve, knead.” The verb dissolve is of the same root. Krylov's etymological dictionary

cottage cheese - cottage cheese, cottage cheese m. A food product obtained from milk when it is fermented and separated from the whey. Explanatory Dictionary by Efremova

COOK - COOK - a fermented milk product obtained by fermenting milk and removing the whey; consists mainly of milk protein and water. Full-fat cottage cheese contains 18% fat, dietary cottage cheese - 11%, semi-fat - 9%, low-fat - 0.5%. Large encyclopedic dictionary

Cottage cheese has always been in the life of modern humanity. It is simply impossible to imagine that he is gone. We are all accustomed to eating cottage cheese from early childhood. Today there is simply an unrealistic number of dishes to which cottage cheese is added.

We all know what to make from cottage cheese and where to buy it, but not many know how it appeared in people’s lives. Let's take a closer look at this wonderful product and find out the history of its origin.

How did the first cottage cheese appear?

No one knows for sure how the first cottage cheese appeared; it appeared so long ago that no one knows the exact date, and what is the exact date, no one even knows the approximate date of its appearance. But of course there is an assumption.

It is believed that one day someone simply left milk in the sun, it turned sour and curdled under the scorching rays of the sun. Naturally, seeing that the milk had already disappeared and it was no longer possible to drink it, they simply poured it out, but in the place where it was poured there was a piece of cloth. Thus, the whey went into the ground, but the curd itself remained on the fabric, people tried what was left and it turned out to be very tasty, and then people began to sour milk in the sun and pour it onto the fabric. Further, of course, its production was improved. No one knows whether everything really happened that way, but the story may well be true.

Cottage cheese in ancient Rome

In contrast to the general history of cottage cheese, the fact that it was made and eaten already in ancient Rome is confirmed in writing. The ancient Roman writer, historian and scientist Marcus Terence Varonna wrote about cottage cheese.

The ancient Romans prepared it by curdling milk using an enzyme. They took a clot from the stomach of a dairy calf, kid or lamb (such a process, of course, is difficult for modern people to imagine how this all happened).

Such a curd was placed in a vessel with milk and left in a warm place, the milk curdled, then it was strained and the cottage cheese was eaten. Rich and poor consumed it equally often; cottage cheese was on the table almost every day.

Cottage cheese in Rus'

In Rus', this product appeared in ancient times. While everything that was generally prepared in those days, cottage cheese was also prepared in the oven.

People poured yogurt into clay pots and put it in the oven until the mass curdled. Then they took the pot out of the oven and poured everything into a special cone-shaped bag, the bag itself was then hung to drain the whey. But then there was no such word as cottage cheese and our ancestors called it exclusively cheese; in those days it was the only existing cheese.

As everyone knows, cottage cheese is a perishable product, and our ancestors did not have refrigerators; in winter, of course, it was stored in a barn and the frost did not allow it to spoil.

But in the summer it was difficult, because the milk yield in the summer was naturally higher. We must not forget that previously, all people strictly observed fasts, and they did not always drink milk, but the cows were milked constantly.

And then our wise ancestors found a way to store cottage cheese for a long time. They invented a method to preserve this valuable product in a very interesting way.

The finished cottage cheese, after it had sagged, was placed under a press, after the press it was put in a pot and put in the oven again, there it released juices again, then the product was again sent under the press to release the liquid, after which it was put in a pot again and then again under press. They did this with the cottage cheese twice, and in the end it turned out completely dry.

Then this same cottage cheese was tightly placed in pots, and then heated melted butter was poured into the pot, which filled the voids and covered the top. Such cottage cheese could be stored in the basement for months, then they took it with them when they went on a long journey or to work in the field. Such cottage cheese was highly valued and was expensive; the drier the cottage cheese, the more expensive it was. The most popular cottage cheese was in the Ryazan and Yaroslavl provinces.

Cottage cheese and the legend of Krishna

Even in legends associated with the Buddhist god Krishna, this valuable product is mentioned and not only is it mentioned, the legend is followed to this day.

It is believed that it was Krishna’s favorite food; he considered it a gift from nature to all people, which brought them health, longevity and benefits for the mind.

In India, to this day it is believed that if a person breaks a pot of curd, it will bring him incredible luck. To this day, during major celebrations, wooden poles are placed in squares, similar to ours at Maslenitsa, only pots of cottage cheese are hung on the pole. But they don’t climb the pole like we do, but try to break the pot with a stone or stick, and those who break it are given a gift - sweet cakes made from the same cottage cheese, but the main prize is a supply of success for a whole year from Krishna himself.

This is how our favorite cottage cheese came into our lives!

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