Farmer Cheese

Farmer cheese is a fresh, pressed curd cheese with a white, crumbly body. It tastes mild with a clean, milky tang and does not melt, holding its shape when heated. Use it for fillings, spreads, and crumbling over salads, and find it sold in blocks or tubs, plain or lightly salted.

It traces to Central and Eastern Europe and remains common in Slavic and Ashkenazi Jewish cooking, where it fills pierogi, blintzes, and pastries. Producers acidify cow's milk, drain the curds, then press to expel whey; some versions include a little cream or salt for richness.