Short answer: quark is a soft, fresh cheese made from milk that has been soured with friendly bacteria. It is creamy, slightly tangy and has no added salt. It is an everyday food in Germany, Austria and other parts of central and eastern Europe. It has the same name as the tiny particle, but the two are not related.
What does quark taste and feel like?
Think of something between thick yogurt and soft cream cheese. It is smooth and spoonable, with a mild, fresh, slightly sour taste. It is not salty and not sharp, so it works with both sweet and savoury food. The low-fat kind tastes a lot like thick skim milk, while richer versions taste creamier.
How is quark made?
Quark is an “acid-set” cheese. That means it thickens mostly because of acid, not because of rennet like most hard cheeses.
- Pasteurised milk is warmed and mixed with lactic acid bacteria (a “starter culture”).
- The bacteria turn milk sugar into lactic acid, and the milk slowly thickens into a soft gel.
- The gel is strained to drain off the watery liquid, called whey.
- What is left is quark.
Some makers add a tiny drop of rennet to help the milk set. Quark is not aged, so it is sold and eaten fresh.
Quark around Europe
The same kind of fresh cheese goes by different names:
- Germany: Quark (also Speisequark, or Magerquark for the low-fat kind)
- Austria: Topfen
- Czechia and Slovakia: Tvaroh
- Scandinavia: Kvarg
Fat levels
Low-fat quark is very common, and richer versions with cream are also sold. Fat levels differ by brand, so read the label.
What is in it?
Quark is high in protein. Many brands have around 12 to 14 grams of protein per 100 grams, and low-fat versions often have about 60 to 70 calories per 100 grams. Plain quark also has very little salt. Numbers differ by brand and fat level, so check the nutrition label on your pack. For more detail, read is quark healthy.
How do people eat it?
- With fruit, honey or jam
- As a spread on bread with herbs and salt
- In baking, such as German cheesecake (Käsekuchen)
- As a creamy dip or sauce base
You can find more ideas in our quark food ideas and recipes.
What if you cannot find it?
Outside Europe, quark can be hard to spot. Strained plain yogurt, skyr or fromage frais are the closest swaps. See the best quark substitutes, learn how it differs from yogurt in quark vs Greek yogurt, or try making quark at home.
Storage
Keep it in the fridge and follow the date on the pack. After opening, cover it and use it within a few days.
Also see skyr vs quark and is quark healthy. Back to the food section