There’s often a degree of novelty and weirdness to health and wellness trends, but the hip foods of the past few years have been especially odd. In the late 20th century, tinned fish inspired such a widespread ick that anchovies were a cultural punchline, only to earn the (very PR) label of “hot girl food” just a few years ago. Some influencers have sworn by adding odd gunk to their diets, like sea moss. Yet another food that’s made the passage from feeling dated and questionable to feeling smart and even—dare we say it—sexy is cottage cheese. How on earth did they manage to make what’s essentially curdled milk trendy?

Few brands have benefited more from this sense of a change in the tides than Good Culture, which has developed a reputation for not only being a good cottage cheese, but the cottage cheese Über alles. While it can seem like merely a TikTok trend to skeptics like me, I’ve lived with converts and witnessed Good Culture’s influence as an all-or-nothing pick in the wild. Fans will attest to the brand’s superiority as something more akin to feta or ricotta than the lumpy, watery varieties of yesteryear, and its substantial amount of protein has made Good Culture especially popular with foodies interested in upping their intake. It’s also inspired people to get creative with recipes, with easy takes on fancy toasts, dips, spreads, and more. As a lazy eater and someone who has never once flocked to cottage cheese, I can’t deny the power of some of the simple, clever recipe videos out there.