Curd
The solid part of milk that forms when it sets, which is drained, shaped and ripened into cheese.
Also: cheese curd, coagulum
Curd is the solid that forms when milk is set with rennet or acid, the other part being liquid whey. It holds most of the milk's casein and fat. Fresh curd can be eaten straight away, as chhena, cuajada or cheese curds, or it can be cut, cooked, pressed, salted and aged into every other cheese in the world. In English, 'curds and whey' is the old name for this simple stage. In India the word curd is also used for dahi, set yoghurt, which is a different thing: its milk sets because of bacteria and is eaten without separating the whey. In cheese talk, curd always means the drained solid.