Quark soft cheese

[avocado]

I picked up a tub of this at Whole Foods: Quark, made by the Vermont Butter and Cheese Co. It's soft, with a texture more similar to thick yogurt than cream cheese. It's also sharper than cream cheese, with an almost goat-cheesy tang.

So far I've just licked it thoughtfully from a spoon- anyone know how it's meant to be eaten?

[mtigges]

I picked up a tub of this at Whole Foods: Quark, made by the Vermont Butter and Cheese Co. It's soft, with a texture more similar to thick yogurt than cream cheese. It's also sharper than cream cheese, with an almost goat-cheesy tang.

So far I've just licked it thoughtfully from a spoon- anyone know how it's meant to be eaten?

←

Straight.

It's a favourite among elderly Germans. My Grandmother ate it every morning, sometimes with berries, or oats. It's closest cousin is cottage cheese. You can probably do anything with it that you would normally do with CC.

[Abra]

I eat it almost every day, but the fat free kind, which is still amazingly delicious. Sometimes I eat it with a little vanilla mixed in, sometimes with a drizzle of dark maple strup, sometimes with some spicy applesauce. That's my dessert, 4-5 times a week.

[JasonTrue]

Austrians like it sweetened a bit, flavored with vanilla and served with crepe-like pancakes; in Austria, this kind of Quark is called Topfen.

Also lightly sweetened, it's a good garnish for rote Grütze, which is basically a thickened, chilled fruit soup made with white wine, a bit of starch, and various berries, predominantly reddish-ones. Blackberries, raspberries, tiny European cranberries (regular cranberries are just fine), and even gooseberries can be used. If the fruits are more green or more yellow, it's still Grütze, but no longer rot.

When making cheesecake, Germans use quark where we would use cream cheese. I used it in Germany when making cheesecakes because it was so much cheaper than buying Philadelphia brand cream cheese or local versions of the same.

I've also seen it used in fruit salads.

It can be mixed with Muesli or granola.

Sometimes it is spread as is on bread as is commonly done in some countries with sour cream or cream cheese.

Edited November 7, 2005 by JasonTrue (log)

[foodie52]

We used to spread it on pumpernickle, a sprinkle of salt and then.....thinly sliced onions! Or radishes....

(I'm not that old...it's just that I grew up in a very traditional household.)

[Woods]

I picked up a tub of this at Whole Foods: Quark, made by the Vermont Butter and Cheese Co. It's soft, with a texture more similar to thick yogurt than cream cheese. It's also sharper than cream cheese, with an almost goat-cheesy tang.

So far I've just licked it thoughtfully from a spoon- anyone know how it's meant to be eaten?

←

You can make pretty good quark at home and a lot cheaper than what Whole Foods sells it for. I can give you a recipe or if you google it you will find lots of information about it.

Woods

[Eden]

I use it pretty much anywhere I'd use sour cream or creme fraiche. It's a little thicker, but not so much that it significantly affects anything I've tried it in so far (soups, sauces etc, not baking)

A local cheese maker told me they use the same recipe for their Quark as for their Fromage Blanc, and they just label it differently because the people who want Fromage Blanc, won't buy Quark, and the people who want Quark won't buy Fromage Blanc

[Maison Rustique]

Yes, it's delicious for breakfast with granola, muesli, etc.

[anzu]

It can also be used in a savory way. Mix in snipped chives, or garlic, or herbs of your choice, and spread it on bread.

[Chufi]

I love really good full fat quark drizzled with chestnut honey. Or another kind of honey, but chestnut is the best..

[Kim D]

I use it in Strudel. IIRC, mixed with an egg, sugar and vanilla.

Friends from Germany spread it on toast.

Yummy either way.

- Kim