What Is Quark?
Is it cheese or yogurt or something else entirely?
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By Layla Khoury-Hanold for Food Network Kitchen
Layla Khoury-Hanold is a contributor at Food Network.
If you purchase quark, you might notice that the texture is more like yogurt than cheese. But which is it? And what exactly is quark? For more info, we consulted Kurt Gutenbrunner, chef-owner of Wallsé, a fine dining Austrian restaurant in New York City.
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What Is Quark?
Quark is a creamy, soft, fresh cow’s milk cheese that is high in protein and can be low-fat, depending on its milkfat content.
Quark’s origins can be traced back to central and eastern Europe and Scandinavia. “In Austrian cuisine we use quark in lots of different ways, starting from breakfast to dinner, such as simple quark spreads with fresh herbs,” Gutenbrunner says. “And Austrian cheesecake is usually made out of quark which is very different from the American baked cheesecake. We also use it for baked quark strudel.”
In the U.S., quark cheese is readily available at health food stores, but it can also be found at chains like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s.
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What Does Quark Taste Like?
Quark tastes like a mild, fresh cheese and has a smooth, creamy texture. Its flavor and richness also vary, depending on the source of the milk and its fat content, which Gutenbrunner says ranges from 10 to 40 percent.
Is Quark Cheese or Yogurt?
Quark is a type of cheese. “Both products are made from milk where bacteria are added,” Gutenbrunner explains. “But there are different bacteria for making quark cheese than making yogurt. As a result, yogurt is still a milk product and quark is a cheese.”
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How to Eat Quark
Quark can be eaten straight like cottage cheese or used as a spread for toast, bagels and sandwiches. It can also be eaten for dessert or used in baked goods like cheesecake or coffee cake.
“My favorite way of eating quark is a simple slice of dark rye bread with some quark cheese and fresh cut chives and a little bit of sea salt,” Gutenbrunner says. “I like to add some quark cheese into my spaetzle recipe because it makes the spaetzle lighter and fluffier.”
“It also depends on the season,” he adds. “I use quark for quark dumplings with apricot compote. Also, in the fall I like to make Austrian style cheesecake with pears. And there is one more very typical Austrian spread which is called Liptauer. It's quark cheese with paprika, chopped peppers, capers and chives served with a warm pretzel.”
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