Germany (nationwide) · Germany
Quark.
Quark is fresh dairy at its cleanest: snow-white, smooth as thick yogurt but rounder and milkier, with a soft lactic tang and no salt at all. It's less a cheese you slice than one you spoon — into cheesecake, onto rye bread, or straight from the tub.
Rate this cheese
Origin
The story
How it's made.
Why it tastes that way.
Quark — the word simply means 'curd' — is the everyday fresh cheese of the German-speaking world and far beyond, with relatives across Central and Eastern Europe (tvaroh, twaróg, túró). Skimmed milk is soured with lactic cultures until it sets, then gently drained; no rennet is needed, no salt added, no aging done.
Germans eat it by the kilo: stirred with herbs onto potatoes, whipped with fruit, spread on bread, and baked into Käsekuchen, the German cheesecake. In Austria it goes by Topfen and fills strudel and Topfenknödel dumplings.
Production · spec
- Milk
- Cow · pasteurised
- Family
- Fresh
- Rind
- rindless
- Age
- 0 mo
Tasting profile
What it tastes like.
Caseo's flavour axes are drawn from each cheese's flavour and aroma profile. This is Quark's fingerprint.
Aroma
Nutrition · per 100g serving
What's in a wedge.
A 100g serving — about a finger-thick wedge. Daily values use the FDA 2020 reference of 2,000 kcal. Expect ±5% variation between wheels.
Estimated values — based on similar cheese family data
Serve, cut & store
Out of the fridge,
into its prime.
Guidance for fresh cheeses — general practice, not a per-wheel measurement.
Rest
Take it out about 20–30 min before serving — cold stiffens the fat and locks up the aromas; cool room temperature is when the flavour shows up.
Cut
Slice with a wet knife or simply spoon it — fresh cheeses don't need ceremony.
Store
Fresh and brined cheeses keep best covered in their liquid — and are happiest eaten within days.
Rule of thumb: the softer and riper, the longer it needs. Thick pieces need longer than thin — and don't leave cheese out much past two hours.
Pairings · Caseo curated
What goes with Quark.
25 pairings across 0 categories.
Bonus & advanced pairings · 25
Wine
Where to find it
Cheese counters.
Counter listings for Quark are being verified. Check back soon.
Verified counter listings coming soon. Our team updates listings monthly.
Substitutes
No Quark at the counter?.
These will play a similar role on the board and in the pan.
Take it with you
Want to remember this one?.
Log it, pair it, and keep your own tasting notes — Caseo is free, with no ads and no tracking.