Cottage cheese is a curdled milk product with a mild flavor & a creamy, non-homogeneous, soupy texture. It is also known as curds & whey. It is made from cow's milk by draining the cheese, as opposed to pressing it to make cheese curd—retaining some of the whey and keeping the curds loose. An important step in the manufacturing process distinguishing cottage cheese from other fresh cheeses is the adding of a "dressing" to the curd grains, usually cream, which is largely responsible for the taste of the product. Cottage cheese is not aged.

Cottage cheese was widely promoted in America during the First World War, along with other dairy products, to save meat for infantry rations. This promotion was shown in many war posters, including one which claimed that one pound of cottage cheese contains more protein than a pound of lamb, pork, beef, or chicken. After the war, cottage cheese quickly became more popular. Thirty million pounds (14,000 t) of cottage cheese was produced in 1919 (out of 418,000,000 pounds190,000 t) of cheese in general in 1920), but by 1928, 87,000,000 pounds (39,000 t) were manufactured. Consumption peaked in the United States in the 1970s when dieting became popular and some $1.3 billion of it was sold per year, but in the 1980s yogurt became more popular and sales dropped considerably further in the 2000s.

Cottage cheese can be low in calories compared to other types of cheese, making it popular among dieters & some health devotees, similar to yogurt.

More Info: en.m.wikipedia.org