What is the term used for the small amount of curd that is added to milk to turn it into curd?

Inoculum refers to the small amount of curd that is added to milk to initiate the process of curd formation. The curd acts as a starter culture containing live bacteria, which ferments lactose in milk into lactic acid. This acidifies the milk, causing the casein proteins to coagulate and form a thick mass.

Therefore, the addition of inoculum is a crucial step in curd formation, as it provides the necessary microorganisms to ferment the lactose in milk and initiate the curdling process.