From The Food Encyclopedia by Jacques Rolland and Carol Sherman
An unripened cheese made from skim milk, fresh or dried, plus salt and a lactic bacterium that brings about the curdling. The old name was "cottager's cheese" because it was almost always made at home. Some manufacturers use acid, however (such as phosphoric or hydrochloric acid) to bring about the separation of the milk, a method unsuited to the consumer who prefers a natural method. Those brands that employ acid say "directly set" or "curd set by acidification" on the label. Every milk-producing country in the world has its own version of cottage cheese, known by various names: in France, it's fromage blanc; in Germany, Quarkkäse, in Italy, ricotta; in England, pot cheese, and in Scotland, Aberdeen Crowdie.
