# Food fun! (or: tell me about this spoiled food) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 29, 2010, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-fun-or-tell-me-about-this-spoiled-food/537703 "2010-04-29T02:15:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rumor\_Watkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@Rumor\_Watkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rumor_Watkins)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-fun-or-tell-me-about-this-spoiled-food/537703/1 "2010-04-29T02:15:47Z")
If I leave a bowl of milk (after cereal) out, a few days later it solidifies and turns into something resembling yoghurt. What is it, exactly? And what happens if you eat it? ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-fun-or-tell-me-about-this-spoiled-food/537703/2 "2010-04-29T09:43:36Z")
You may have yogurt. You should have went for cheese curds. Sour cream is useful too. What you have depends on what grew in the milk. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-fun-or-tell-me-about-this-spoiled-food/537703/3 "2010-04-29T10:11:36Z")
You have fermented milk, but you’ve allowed it to ferment with a wild culture of bacteria. Commercial fermented milk products (yoghurt, cheese, creme fraiche) control the end result by introducing a carefully selected culture of bacteria. (in the case of cheese, there is also a curdling process that is performed before fermentation) You made something that is to yoghurt what sourdough bread is to ordinary bread.