Whey cheese

Instead of curdling fresh milk, whey cheeses are made by concentrating whey and coagulating its proteins with heat and acid. The curd is strained and sometimes pressed, and makers may add milk or cream to raise fat or round out flavour. Ricotta is the famous one, with Norwegian brunost, Greek mizithra, and ricotta salata in the same family. Because the proteins are heat-set albumins and globulins rather than rennet-coagulated casein, these are fresh, perishable products with soft texture and delicate flavour. The process turns a waste stream into value, improving both the economics and the environmental footprint of cheesemaking.