Nursery rhymes are often hundreds of years old and their meaning is unclear, rather young children simply repeat or sing them. In the case of “Little Miss Muffet,” she is eating a centuries-old version of traditional curd and whey, which is the staple cottage cheese, probably the food this rhyme describes. The cottage cheese drains off, but the whey remains, leaving the individual curds loose. and the acidity is eliminated to achieve a sweeter and more pleasant taste.

Cheese curds are a necessary component in cheese making, which can also be fried as a snack or appetizer. Juice is added to cause coagulation (curdling). For convenience, bakers often “curdle” milk to produce a buttermilk flavor when making muffins, pancakes, or other baked goods. Vinegar or lemon juice are the most common additives, but centuries ago rennet (cow stomach lining) was used. It is then cut into cubes and the result is a mixture of whey (the liquid) and curd. This mixture is cooked and pressed to separate the whey from the curds, creating the final cheese curd product. Generally mild in flavor, fresh curds squeak when bitten into, a characteristic caused by air trapped within the porous material. In the country of India, a popular alternative to meat is paneer, which is widely used in traditional main dishes, and biryani rice. It resembles tofu and has a mild but pleasant flavor and texture. (Okay, more than you wanted to know.)

Although cheese curds are ideally eaten fresh, they can be purchased at local supermarkets across the country. The most common curd is a young cheddar cheese. In Wisconsin, cheese factories produce them daily to meet demand and they have been produced since the mid-19th century, when cheesemaking began in America’s dairy country, when Swiss and German immigrants brought their skills and recipes to the United States. Midwest. Today they are the most popular snack in the state. Wisconsin produces more than 2 billion pounds of cheese a year. That’s a lot of curd.

A popular snack in the state of Wisconsin (no wonder), they’ve been enjoyed for years with wine or beer, but have now spread across the country, especially at county and state fairs, where they’re usually deep fried. They can be purchased at many local supermarkets.

Basically, Miss M was sitting on a stool eating cottage cheese until this spider showed up and ruined things for her. That should clear up any confusion you’ve had since childhood. These days she would probably be eating fried cottage cheese and drinking a soda. She now she goes to fry a little and enjoy.