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. Notably, cheese curds are popular in

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

, as part of the dish

poutine Poutine () is a dish of french fries and cheese curds topped with a hot brown gravy. It emerged in Quebec in the late 1950s in the Centre-du-Québec region, though its exact origins are uncertain, and there are several competing claims regar ...

(made of

French fries French fries, or simply fries, also known as chips, and finger chips (Indian English), are '' batonnet'' or '' julienne''-cut deep-fried potatoes of disputed origin. They are prepared by cutting potatoes into even strips, drying them, and f ...

topped with cheese curds and

gravy Gravy is a sauce made from the juices of meats and vegetables that run naturally during cooking and often thickened with thickeners for added texture. The gravy may be further coloured and flavoured with gravy salt (a mix of salt and caramel food ...

), and in

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

and

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

where they can be served breaded and deep fried. Curds are sometimes referred to as "squeaky cheese" or ''fromage en grain''.

Production

Cheese curds are made from fresh pasteurized milk to which cheese culture and

rennet Rennet () is a complex set of enzymes produced in the stomachs of ruminant mammals. Chymosin, its key component, is a protease, protease enzyme that curdling, curdles the casein in milk. In addition to chymosin, rennet contains other enzymes, su ...

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, 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 ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' as sounding like "

balloon A balloon is a flexible membrane bag that can be inflated with a gas, such as helium, hydrogen, nitrous oxide, oxygen, or air. For special purposes, balloons can be filled with smoke, liquid water, granular media (e.g. sand, flour or rice), ...

s trying to

neck The neck is the part of the body in many vertebrates that connects the head to the torso. It supports the weight of the head and protects the nerves that transmit sensory and motor information between the brain and the rest of the body. Addition ...

". 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. 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 A snack is a small portion of Human food, food generally Eating, eaten between meals. Snacks come in a variety of forms including Food packaging, packaged snack foods and other processed foods, as well as items made from fresh ingredients at ho ...

finger food Finger foods are small, individual portions of food that are eaten out of hand. They are often served at social events. The ideal finger food usually does not create any mess (such as crumbs or drips), but this criterion is often overlooked in o ...

, 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 Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plants in the genus '' Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chives, Welsh onion, and Chinese onion. Garlic is native to central and south Asia, str ...

, various herbs, or spice blends such as Cajun seasoning, with garlic and dill on cheddar curds being a popular combination. They are often served by Russian Mennonites as part of a traditional light lunch called '' faspa''.

Fried cheese curds

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. They are sometimes served with a side of

ketchup Ketchup or catsup is a table condiment with a sweet and sour flavor. "Ketchup" now typically refers to tomato ketchup, although early recipes for different varieties contained mushrooms, oysters, mussels, egg whites, grapes, or walnuts, amon ...

, marinara sauce, or ranch dressing. 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.Belleville, Kansas Dairy Queen website

Poutine

Cheese curds are a main ingredient in

, which originated in the 1950s in rural

, Canada. It consists of

french fries French fries, or simply fries, also known as chips, and finger chips (Indian English), are '' batonnet'' or '' julienne''-cut deep-fried potatoes of disputed origin. They are prepared by cutting potatoes into even strips, drying them, and f ...

topped with fresh cheese curds, covered with brown

and sometimes additional ingredients.

References

{{Québécois cheeses American cheeses Canadian cheeses Cuisine of Wisconsin Cuisine of the Midwestern United States Cuisine of the Northeastern United States Cuisine of Quebec Curd Convenience foods Culver's American snack foods