🥛 Exploring Curd Formation – Science vs Non-Science?

CUBE chat
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:star2: CUBE ChatShaala Whiteboard Summary – 16.07.2025

In this session, participants critically examined various traditional and experimental methods of curd preparation, comparing anecdotal beliefs with systematic experimentation. The focus was on understanding the role of different inoculums or curd “starters” and the scientific principles behind curdling milk.

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:test_tube: Experiments & Observations

  1. Inoculums tested : curd seed (starter), lemon juice, vinegar, red/green chili, tamarind, salt, and combinations of these.

  2. SeethaLakshmi’s Experiment

Four samples tested with boiled milk (10 ml each):

A (Control) : No inoculum → Bad smell

B (Vinegar) : Clumps, yellowish layer → Not edible

C (Curd) : Well-set curd → Good result

D (Raw milk) : Bad smell after 24 hrs

  1. Susanta Sir’s method : Boil → Cool → Add thin film of curd on vessel walls → Consistent and reproducible curd.

  2. Kashyap’s Claim : Curd can form in raw milk without any starter in 2–3 days.

  3. Sailakshmi’s Proposal : Boil 500ml milk → Cool to ~33°C → Add 2 tbsp curd → Set in a plastic container.

:microscope: Key Themes

  • Role of temperature and starter culture (inoculum) in curd formation.

  • Objective verification vs hearsay: Reproducibility of results tested through multiple proposals.

Scientific curiosity: Can lemon juice or salt alone set curd? Can raw milk set into curd without any starter?

:brain: Provocative Questions for All Curious Minds

  1. Can red or green chili act as a reliable inoculum for curd preparation? What’s the mechanism?

  2. Why did lemon juice fail to set the curd in some experiments but not in others?

  3. What exactly is the “curd seed” – is it live bacterial culture or something more?

  4. How does boiling milk alter its ability to form curd?

  5. Is there any evidence to support the belief that silver spoons help in curd setting?

  6. What makes vinegar curdle milk but not form edible curd?

  7. Why does Kashyap’s raw milk method produce curd over 2–3 days? Could this be fermentation or spoilage?

:seedling: My Personal Learning from This ChatShaala

I learned how science can enter our kitchens, revealing complex microbial and biochemical processes behind something as simple as curd-making. This session taught me that evidence-based inquiry can challenge even the most common household practices, transforming them into testable scientific questions. I also saw the power of collaborative experimentation and the value of recording even “ failed ” attempts as meaningful data.

:books: Reference

@Arunan @KiranKalakotiR @Enas_188 @Susanta_Tanti @Chitralekha @Akantidas @Ayana_Sudheer @2020ugchsncnseethala @dhanraj7 and others.

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