Cottage cheese or "Sweet curd" is a mild cheesy flavored curd. It is obtained by washing curd and thus makes it less acidic. There is a little residual whey left over as this cheese is not pressed after being drained. While the origin of the name is debatable, one theory has it that it used to be a homemade cheese called 'cottagers' cheeses'. The term 'cottage cheese' was first used around the 19th century in America. Another proposed theory is that the term 'cottage' referring to unfinished or unkempt buildings on the outskirts, was used to refer to cheese that wasn't completely finished. There are different variations of cottage cheese that can be made like hoop cheese, pot cheese, or farmer's cheese. A fun fact to note is that cottage cheese and ketchup and/or black pepper were among the favourite breakfast foods of US President Richard Nixon.
