What Is Quark Cheese? (2024)

Quark is a creamy, mild fresh cheese common throughout Northern and Eastern Europe. It’s consumed on its own as a breakfast food, similar to Greek or Icelandic yogurt, and incorporated into dips, baked goods, and other recipes. Quark is a good source of calcium and is high in protein and low in fat compared to other fresh cheeses.

What Is Quark?

Quark is the name for the German version of a mild-tasting, spreadable, unaged cheese that has been produced in areas of Northern and Eastern Europe since at least Roman times. It's often consumed for breakfast or spread on bread, but it can also be used in baking and cooking. Because quark is simply cultured and strained and not aged, it has a very mild, milky flavor and texture more reminiscent of yogurt than cheese.

How Quark Is Made

To make quark, pasteurized milk is gently warmed, then cultures are stirred in. Some quark manufacturers add a very small amount of rennet at this point to strengthen the coagulation of the milk and remove more whey, which creates a slightly firmer texture in the finished product. The milk is then allowed to culture and cool to around 70 F over 12 to 24 hours, during which it coagulates into a soft curd. The longer the quark sits, the firmer and tangier it will be.

The curd is gently ladled into a fine strainer or muslin bag to drain for another 12 to 24 hours. The cheesemaker can control the texture of the cheese during this step: a shorter draining time means more moisture in the cheese and a softer finished product, while a longer draining time will make for a firmer, drier cheese. Depending on how the cheese will be used, a small amount of cream may be added to the cheese to add richness. The quark may also be whipped to create a lighter, airier texture before packaging.

Substitutes

Other soft, spreadable, fresh cow's milk cheeses such as fromage blanc, cream cheese, soft farmers' cheese, and labneh or kefir cheese may be used in place of quark in recipes, although you’d want to skip putting American cream cheese on a cheese board. In dishes in which the cheese will melt into other ingredients, whole-milk yogurt could also be used. Chèvre, made with goat's milk, is another alternative, although the flavor profile may be tangier and earthier than that of quark.

Types

In addition to the typically soft, smooth German quark, similar cheeses are made across Northern and Eastern Europe, like tvorog in Russia, rahka in Finland, and topfen in Austria. While it's typically drier and more crumbly than quark, the French make fromage blanc, a fresh, tangy cow's milk cheese. In the United States, the Pennsylvania Dutch make a similar cheese called Schmierkase. Often, the soft, spreadable versions of what's known as farmers' cheese in the United States are very much like quark.

Uses

Traditionally, quark is eaten with jam or fresh berries, often for breakfast. In Germany, it's also used as the main ingredient in Kaesekuchen, or cheesecake. It can be used similarly to substitutes like fromage blanc or cream cheese: spread on bread, bagels, or other baked goods; baked into sweet or savory dishes, added to casseroles, macaroni and cheese, or soups to add moisture and creaminess; and dolloped into quiches or tarts. It's excellent as the base for flavored dips or spreads such as Krautkaese, which includes chopped onions and fresh herbs like chives and parsley and is served over baked potatoes. Quark can also be used as a filling for pastries, pastas, crepes, and pierogi.

Storage

Store quark sealed in an airtight plastic or glass container in the coldest part of your refrigerator. Look for a printed expiration date on the package—the cheese should be good to consume through that date. It can also be stored in your freezer for up to three months. Thaw frozen quark overnight in the refrigerator and stir to reincorporate any liquid that has separated. Quark that has grown mold on its surface or smells like spoiled milk should be discarded.

Quark Recipes

• German Cheesecake with Quark (Kaesekuchen)
• Tzatziki: Cucumber Yogurt Dip
• Lemon Blueberry Quark Cake