Cheese

Cheese, nutritious food consisting primarily of the curd, the semisolid substance formed when milk curdles, or coagulates. Curdling occurs naturally if milk is not used promptly: it sours, forming an acid curd, which releases whey, a watery fluid containing the soluble constituents; and it leaves semisolid curd, or fresh cheese. In some areas, cheese is still made simply by allowing milk to curdle naturally, or by mixing milk with juices or extracts that reduce it to curds and whey. A brief treatment of cheese follows. For full treatment, see dairy product: Cheese and cheese making.