I Can Vouch For It! This Cottage Cheese Brand Is Shockingly Good

After decades spent as a dairy aisle punchline thanks to the seemingly ubiquitous cottage cheese fad diets of the 1980s, this curd-rich, fresh cheese finally has people coming back around to it. That said, if you're hoping to jump on the cottage cheese train, you should know that not all cottage cheeses are up to snuff. As an avid cottage cheese enjoyer myself, I have pretty extensive knowledge of brands of all stripes, from the terrible to the truly sublime. There is one brand that is, dare I say, shockingly good, and it's none other than Good Culture. 

This choice shouldn't come as a surprise to any cottage cheese aficionado. Since the brand was first introduced in 2015, it has made its way to the top of many cottage cheese rankings, including Chowhound's own run down of cottage cheese brands. So what makes Good Culture stand out? Unlike some other brands, Good Culture is creamy without being runny, giving it a lush texture that even the cottage cheese cautious will love. It's perfect for spreading on toast or scooping onto pasta as a more budget-friendly burrata replacement (one of my favorite uses). I like that Good Culture has a zingy taste that is slightly savory, unlike other brands which can be rather bland. It is great for eating straight from the tub. I've enjoyed a plain bowl of Good Culture as a snack more than once. 

So what is it that gives Good Culture cottage cheese its distinctive taste and texture? Let's start with the brand's biggest selling point: its use of live and active bacterial cultures. This is different from other mainstream cottage cheeses, which use enzymes such as rennet (a popular addition to many fresh cheeses) to form the signature curds. These cultures give the cheese a more distinct, tangy flavor, similar to yogurt.

Plus, Good Culture brand cottage cheese keeps its ingredients list short, and it avoids using thickening agents and gums that can mess with the cheese's texture. So you're getting a fresh, tangy, and curd-rich cheese that isn't hampered by additives that may alter its taste and texture. This is perhaps my favorite aspect of the brand. I grew up in a Breakstone's Cottage Cheese household, and I do still have a soft spot for the brand, but its use of tapioca starch thickeners gives it a bit of an odd, off-putting texture, where as Good Culture is perfectly creamy and tender. Plus, its taste tends to be more sour and off-putting, while Good Culture manages to be tangy without moving into funky territory.

The beauty of Good Culture is its simplicity. For example, the ingredients list for its 2% cottage cheese includes only five things: skim milk, whole milk, cream, sea salt, and those signature live and active cultures. This gives this brand's cheese a distinctive, fresh taste and texture that is unbeatable. Seriously: Pick up a tub and try it for yourself.