Cheese curds
Encyclopedia
Cheese curds in cuisine, or cooking, are the solid parts of soured milk either eaten alone or used in various regional dishes, mostly in Canada and the northeastern and midwestern United States. They are sometimes referred to as "squeaky cheese".
s trying to neck". After 12 hours, even under refrigeration, they lose much of their "fresh" characteristic, particularly the "squeak". Keeping them at room temperature can preserve the squeakiness.
The curds have a mild flavor and are sometimes somewhat salty. The American variety is usually yellow or orange, like most American Cheddar cheese, but doesn't require the artificial coloring. Other varieties, as in Quebec or New York State, may be naturally un-colored.
, 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 so-called "Cajun seasoning", with garlic and dill on cheddar curds being a popular combination.
, deep-fried cheese curds are often found at carnivals and fairs, and often local non-chain fast food
restaurants and bars, as well as a few chain restaurants of local origin, such as Culver's
. Deep-fried cheese curds are covered with a batter
, like that used for onion rings
, or are breaded and placed in a deep fryer.
In some areas, deep-fried cheese curds are also known as cheeseballs.
Cheese curds are a main ingredient in poutine
, a dish consisting of french fries
topped with fresh cheese curds, covered with brown gravy
and sometimes additional ingredients. The dish originated in rural Quebec
, Canada, in the late 1950s. Several Québécois communities claim to be the birthplace of poutine, and one oft-cited tale credits Fernand Lachance as inventing the name. The sauce was allegedly added later, to keep the fries warm longer.
Characteristics
Cheese curds are little known in locations without cheese factories because they should ideally be eaten within hours of manufacture. Their flavor is mild, with about the same firmness as cheese, but with a springy or rubbery texture. Fresh curds squeak against the teeth when bitten into, a defining characteristic, due to air trapped inside the porous material. This "squeak" has been described by the New York Times as sounding like "balloonBalloon
A balloon is an inflatable flexible bag filled with a gas, such as helium, hydrogen, nitrous oxide, oxygen, or air. Modern balloons can be made from materials such as rubber, latex, polychloroprene, or a nylon fabric, while some early balloons were made of dried animal bladders, such as the pig...
s trying to neck". After 12 hours, even under refrigeration, they lose much of their "fresh" characteristic, particularly the "squeak". Keeping them at room temperature can preserve the squeakiness.
The curds have a mild flavor and are sometimes somewhat salty. The American variety is usually yellow or orange, like most American Cheddar cheese, but doesn't require the artificial coloring. Other varieties, as in Quebec or New York State, may be naturally un-colored.
Fresh
Fresh cheese curds are often eaten as a snackSnack
A snack is a small portion of food eaten between meals. The food might be snack food—items like potato chips or baby carrots—but could also simply be a smaller amount of any food item.-Snacks and health:...
, finger food
Finger food
Finger food is food meant to be eaten directly using the hands, in contrast to food eaten with a knife and fork, chopsticks, or other utensils. In some cultures, food is almost always eaten with the hands; for example, Ethiopian cuisine is eaten by rolling various dishes up in injera bread. In the...
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
Toothpick
A toothpick is a small stick of wood, plastic, bamboo, metal, bone or other substance used to remove detritus from the teeth, usually after a meal. A toothpick usually has one or two sharp ends to insert between teeth. They can also be used for picking up small appetizers or as a cocktail...
. Examples of flavorings applied to fresh curds include jalapeño
Jalapeño
The jalapeño is a medium-sized chili pepper that has a warm, burning sensation when eaten. A mature jalapeño fruit is 2–3½ inches long and is commonly picked and consumed while still green, but occasionally it is allowed to fully ripen and turn crimson red...
chili peppers, garlic
Garlic
Allium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion genus, Allium. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, and rakkyo. Dating back over 6,000 years, garlic is native to central Asia, and has long been a staple in the Mediterranean region, as well as a frequent...
, various herbs, or spice blends such as so-called "Cajun seasoning", with garlic and dill on cheddar curds being a popular combination.
Fried cheese curds
In the Midwestern United StatesMidwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
, deep-fried cheese curds are often found at carnivals and fairs, and often local non-chain fast food
Fast food
Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with preheated or precooked ingredients, and served to the customer in a...
restaurants and bars, as well as a few chain restaurants of local origin, such as Culver's
Culver's
Culver’s is a privately owned and operated fast casual restaurant chain that operates primarily in the Midwestern United States. The first Culver’s opened in 1984 in Sauk City, Wisconsin...
. Deep-fried cheese curds are covered with a batter
Batter (cooking)
Batter is a semi-liquid mixture of one or more flours combined with liquids such as water, milk or eggs used to prepare various foods. Often a leavening agent such as baking powder is included to aerate and fluff up the batter as it cooks, or the mixture may be naturally fermented for this purpose...
, like that used for onion rings
Onion rings
Onion rings are a form of fast food commonly found in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and some parts of Asia. They generally consist of a cross-sectional "ring" of onion dipped in batter or breading and then deep fried; a variant is made with onion paste...
, or are breaded and placed in a deep fryer.
In some areas, deep-fried cheese curds are also known as cheeseballs.
Poutine
Poutine
Poutine is a Canadian dish of French fries and fresh cheese curds, covered with brown gravy or sauce. Sometimes additional ingredients are added.Poutine is a fast food dish that originated in Quebec and can now be found across Canada...
, a dish consisting of french fries
French fries
French fries , chips, fries, or French-fried potatoes are strips of deep-fried potato. North Americans tend to refer to any pieces of deep-fried potatoes as fries or French fries, while in the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand, long, thinly cut slices of deep-fried potatoes are...
topped with fresh cheese curds, covered with brown gravy
Gravy
Gravy is a sauce made often from the juices that run naturally from meat or vegetables during cooking. In North America the term can refer to a wider variety of sauces and gravy is often thicker than in Britain...
and sometimes additional ingredients. The dish originated in rural Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada, in the late 1950s. Several Québécois communities claim to be the birthplace of poutine, and one oft-cited tale credits Fernand Lachance as inventing the name. The sauce was allegedly added later, to keep the fries warm longer.