Quark (dairy product)

Quark is possibly described by Tacitus in his book Germania as lac concretum ("thick milk"), eaten by Germanic peoples. However, this could also have meant soured milk or another kind of fresh cheese or fermented milk product. Etymology The word Quark (Late ; The meaning can thus be interpreted as "milk that solidified and took a form". The word formation is thus similar to that of the Italian formaggio and French fromage. A cognate term for quark, túró, is used in Hungarian. Cognates also occur in Scandinavia (Danish , Norwegian and Swedish kvarg) and the Netherlands (Dutch ). The Old English form is . and . == Relationship to other cheeses ==

Quark is a type of fresh cheese. It is therefore similar in taste and texture to other fresh cheeses, including cottage cheese, farmer cheese and the French fromage blanc, but distinct from Italian ricotta because ricotta (Italian "recooked") is made from scalded whey. It is particularly closely related to tvorog, a fresh cheese popular in Eastern, Central and (less often) Northern Europe. In Israel, gevina levana denotes a creamy variety of cheese similar to quark. Quark is considered a "white cheese", as opposed to any rennet-set "yellow cheese". Although quark is sometimes referred to loosely as a type of "cottage cheese", they can be distinguished by the different production aspects and textural quality, with the cottage cheese grains described as more chewy or meaty. As a fresh cheese, quark is also somewhat similar to yogurt cheeses, such as the South Asian chak(k)a, the Arabic labneh, and the Central Asian suzma or Persian kashk, but while these products are obtained by straining yogurt (milk fermented with thermophile bacteria), quark is made from soured milk fermented with mesophile bacteria. ==Production==

Quark is a member of the acid-set cheese group, whose coagulation mainly relies on the acidity produced by lactic acid bacteria feeding on the lactose. According to German regulations on cheese (), "fresh cheeses" () such as quark or cottage cheese must contain at least 73% water in the fat-free component. '' in the traditional wedge shape Some or most of the whey is removed to standardize the quark to the desired thickness. Traditionally, this is done by hanging the cheese in a muslin bag Typical tvorog usually contain 65–80% water out of the total mass. ==Common uses==

made with quark Various cuisines feature quark as an ingredient for appetizers, salads, main dishes, side dishes and desserts. In Germany, quark is sold in cubic plastic tubs and usually comes in three different varieties, (skimmed quark, File:Cheese blintzes with blackberries.jpg|Blintzes / filled with quark and garnished with blackberries File:Pierogi leniwe 3538.jpg|Lazy / lazy File:Paskha2.jpg|Ukrainian File:Oberlausitzer Quarkkeulchen.JPG|Saxon served with hot sour cherries File:Noodle Kugel.jpg|Noodle kugel with quark and raisins File:Syr-domashnij.jpg|alt=Túrós csusza| File:Vatrushka.jpg|alt=Vatrushka| File:Pyrig.jpg|Pie ( / ) with quark and beet greens filling File:Pyrig 046.jpg| / stuffed with quark and herbs File:Tisto.jpg|Quark rings () File:Varskes surelis2.jpg|Quark chocolate snack ==Availability in other countries==

'', a firmer and drier variety of quark Although common in continental Europe, manufacturing of quark is rare in the Americas. A few dairies manufacture it, such as the Vermont Creamery in Vermont, and some specialty retailers carry it. Lifeway Foods manufactures a product under the title "farmer cheese" which is available in a variety of metropolitan locations with Jewish, as well as former Soviet populations. Elli Quark, a Californian manufacturer of quark, offers soft quark in different flavors. In Canada, the firmer East European variety of quark is manufactured by Liberté Natural Foods; a softer German-style quark is manufactured in the Didsbury, Alberta, plant of Calgary-based Foothills Creamery. Glengarry Fine Cheesemaking in Lancaster (Eastern Ontario) also produces Quark. Also available in Canada is the very similar Dry Curd Cottage Cheese manufactured by Dairyland. Quark may also be available as baking cheese, pressed cottage cheese, or fromage frais. In Australia, Ukrainian traditional quark is produced by Blue Bay Cheese in the Mornington Peninsula. It is also sometimes available from supermarkets labelled as quark or quarg. In New Zealand, European traditional Kwark is produced by Karikaas in North Canterbury. It is available in 350 g pots and available online and in speciality stores such as Moore Wilsons. In the United Kingdom, fat-free quark is produced by several independent manufacturers based throughout the country. All the big four supermarkets in the UK sell their own branded quark, as well as other brands of quark. In Finland, quark (rahka) is commonly available in supermarkets, both in plain and flavored forms. It is produced by Arla, Valio and is also sold under private labels by Kesko and S Group. It is often used as a dessert when mixed with berries and whipped cream. Karelians have a dish called piimäpiirakka, which is a quark pie. ==See also==