Without question, these clumpy curds often stir up rather raw, passionate, and extreme feelings of love or hate. But cottage cheese has been going through a makeover of sorts lately, with new companies trying to make it—dare we say it?—sexy. 

A recent Fast Company article highlights several cottage cheese brands that aim to disrupt the US dairy industry. From their sleek, attractive packaging, to their enticing flavor combinations, these products fit right in alongside their trendier cousins, the beloved Greek yogurts and Icelandic skyrs.

Your eyes aren’t playing tricks if you’ve seen cottage cheese claiming more shelf space in the dairy section. Ohio’s SmithFoods introduced Artisa‘s diverse line of flavored cottage cheese—widely available in the Midwest—in 2015. Los Angeles-based Good Culture started selling their goods nationally in January 2016. Israeli company Tnuva launched Muuna in the US that summer. They all offer convenient single-serve products in sweet and savory flavors such as mango, kalamata olive, and black bean and corn salsa.

Fully aware of cottage cheese’s tarnished reputation, these brands all seem to be striving for the same goal: to reverse the public’s negative perception. Artisa’s website says it’s committed to make cottage cheese “the next big comeback.” Good Culture’s motto is “Cottage Cheese, But Better.” Muuna’s? “The New Way to Cottage.” 

Cottage cheese enjoyed its heyday in the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s, when many dieters swore by it and the average American ate five pounds of it per year. Could we soon see it shine in the spotlight once more? 

Alyssa Kim

Alyssa is culture's former Web Editor. Raised in Mass., she's excited to be back in her home state after six years of working in journalism and TV production in NYC.