Cheese curd

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Image:Cheese Curds with scale measurement.png

Cheese curds are moist pieces of curdled milk, eaten either alone as a snack, or used in prepared dishes. They are most often consumed throughout the northern United States and Canada.{{Cite web |date=20 May 2021 |title=Where to Get the Squeakiest Cheese Curds in Ontario | Ontario Culinary |url=https://ontarioculinary.com/where-to-get-the-squeakiest-cheese-curds-in-ontario/}} Notably, cheese curds are popular in Quebec, as part of the dish poutine (made of French fries topped with cheese curds and gravy), and in Wisconsin and Minnesota where they can be served breaded and deep fried. Curds are sometimes referred to as "squeaky cheese" or fromage en grain.{{Cite web |url=https://vancouversun.com/life/food/98the+taste+squeak+perfect+poutine+cheese+curds+just+refrigerate/12250895/story.html |title='The taste is in the squeak': Why the key to the perfect poutine is the cheese curds — just don't refrigerate them |access-date=25 June 2017 |publisher=Vancouver Sun |author=Laura Brehaut |date=25 October 2016}}

Production

Cheese curds are made from fresh pasteurized milk to which cheese culture and rennet are added. After the milk curdles it is then cut into cubes; the result is a mixture of whey and curd, which then forms a substance that is extremely clumpy. This mixture is then cooked and pressed to release the whey from the curd, creating the final product.

Characteristics

Their flavor is mild, but the taste can differ depending on the process by which they were made. It has about the same firmness and density as cheese{{which|date=April 2025}}, but with a springy or rubbery texture. Fresh curds squeak against the teeth when bitten into. This "squeak" has been described by The New York Times as sounding like "balloons trying to neck".[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E06E3DF1F3BF934A25753C1A9629C8B63 Louisa Kamps, "Cheese Curds," NY Times, October 17, 2004] After 12 hours, even under refrigeration, cheese curds lose much of their "fresh" characteristic, particularly the "squeak", due to moisture entering the curd. Keeping them at room temperature can preserve the squeakiness.{{citation needed|date=July 2019}}

The curds have a mild flavor and are sometimes somewhat salty. Most varieties, as in Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, Vermont, or New York State, are naturally uncolored. In Wisconsin they are normally orange or yellow and have a slightly different texture.

Uses

=Fresh=

Fresh cheese curds are often eaten as a snack, finger food, or an appetizer. They may be served alone, dressed with an additional flavor, or with another food, such as a small smoked sausage or piece of cured pork, with the elements skewered together on a toothpick. Examples of flavorings applied to fresh curds include jalapeño chili peppers, garlic, various herbs, or spice blends such as Cajun seasoning, with garlic and dill on cheddar curds being a popular combination.{{cite web |url=http://eatcurds.com/StaticPages/Dictionary.aspx |title=Wisconsin Cheese - Curd Dictionary |access-date=2011-09-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111026042557/http://eatcurds.com/StaticPages/Dictionary.aspx |archive-date=2011-10-26}} They are often served by Russian Mennonites as part of a traditional light lunch called faspa.{{cite news|author=Nathan Orsi|title=A Historic look at the Importance of Cheese in Mennonite Society}}

=Fried cheese curds=

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Deep-fried cheese curds are often found at carnivals and fairs, and often local non-chain fast-food restaurants and at regular restaurants and bars, as well as a few chain restaurants of local origin, such as Culver's.

Minnesota style deep-fried cheese curds are covered with a batter similar to one used for onion rings, and placed in a deep fryer. Wisconsin style deep-fried cheese curds use breading instead of batter.{{Cite web |date=2022-05-23 |title=Where to Go in Minneapolis-St. Paul For the Best Cheese Curds |url=https://www.cheeseprofessor.com/blog/cheese-curds-minneapolis-st-paul |access-date=2023-08-04 |website=The Cheese Professor |language=en-US}} They are sometimes served with a side of ketchup, marinara sauce, or ranch dressing.Lewis, Chelsey (April 21, 2016). [http://www.jsonline.com/greensheet/are-fried-cheese-curds-wisconsins-most-important-food-innovation-b99706996z1-376646521.html "Are Fried Cheese Curds Wisconsin's Most Important Food Innovation?"], Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved May 21, 2016.

In many areas where fried cheese curds are common, the term "cheese curds", or simply "curds", refers to the fried variety; non-fried curds are distinguished by calling them "raw" or "plain" cheese curds.

In some areas, deep-fried cheese curds are also known as cheeseballs. Whereas in Wisconsin they are usually referred to as fried curds.[http://www.nckcn.com/dairyqueen/ Belleville, Kansas Dairy Queen website] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100425024955/http://www.nckcn.com/dairyqueen/ |date=April 25, 2010}}

=Poutine=

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Cheese curds are a main ingredient in poutine, which originated in the 1950s in rural Quebec, Canada. It consists of french fries topped with fresh cheese curds, covered with brown gravy and sometimes additional ingredients.