Updated on April 9th, 2023
If you live in any Slavic, Germanic, or Baltic-speaking country, you may probably know quark cheese as it has become an essential kitchen ingredient. However, the subtle flavor associated with this creamy dairy product makes it a versatile ingredient in many cuisines.
If you’re trying to make some cheesecake, parfait, or just a smoothie, quark cheese can add an incredible texture and richness to your chow. But Let’s say you just moved to a place where you can’t quickly get quark cheese, you may consider scrapping any recipe that calls for it, but before you do that, maybe you would want to check out some of these substitutes for quark cheese that would give you that same creamy mild flavor and more.
Even if you’ve never used quark cheese before, these substitutes will save you some stress in the future if you ever need to use quark cheese.
What is Quark Cheese?
Quark cheese is soured milk that is heated until it curdles or forms lumps. The coagulated milk is then strained, resulting in an acidic-set cheese. Traditionally quark cheese was made without rennet, but rennet has become popular in modern dairies.
Quark cheese is a traditional ingredient in the cuisines of Germanic, Slavic, and Baltic speaking countries, and a different name in each country knows it, but it isn’t really clear who first came up with the creamy white substance. Some popular names include tvaroh as known in Czech and Slovakia, kwark in Dutch, kvarg in Sweden.
Uses of Quark Cheese in Recipes
This un-aged Cheese has a very mild taste. It may not be sweet, but it isn’t sour also, and it doesn’t come with that sour taste or offensive smell that sour milk comes with, this may be the reason why it is incorporated into many cuisines, or it may be because of the traditional value of this creamy Cheese.
Quark cheese can be eaten on its own, or you can use it as a base for dips, as a spread or sandwich filling, it can also be added to chopped or puréed veggies, whether it’s an appetizer or the main meal, it is sure to make that meal more creamy and delicious.
Initially a European cheese, It has become well known in other parts of the globe and can be found in any cuisine irrespective of the country. Below are some examples of dishes that incorporate quark cheese into their recipe;
- Fresh Herbed Quark Spaetzle
- Topfenknödel
- Lasagna with Quark cheese
- Low-fat cheesecake
- Quark cheese salad
- Savory cheese pie with quark
- Quark pockets with cottage cheese filling
- Sandwiches with quark cheese and ham
- Quark with blueberries
- Gingerbread with quark cheesecake
- Apple and cinnamon quark breakfast bowl
- Quark biscuits
- Mad Millie quark
- Lasagna topping creamy cheese sauce
- Caraway potatoes with quark
Substitutes for Quark Cheese
The unique flavor of quark cheese has made it a versatile ingredient, neither sweet nor sour, making it perfect for sweet and savory dishes.
But most people struggle to get their hands on this creamy white substance, especially if you live in a region that is not in abundance.
If you have this particular problem, or maybe you want a substitute for that moment when you run all out of quark cheese, there are plenty of alternatives to know about, but the replacement you choose depends on the meal you’re making. Some are good for savory dishes and others for sweet dishes.
So, without further ado, here are some replacements I’ve listed for those “oh no! I’m out of quark” moments;
Cottage Cheese
This is also an un-aged cheese meaning it has not been pressed, so it also has that wrinkled appearance of quark cheese, and just like quark, it also has that mild flavor I told you about, making it a good quark substitute for anything, both savory and sweet dishes.
The consistency, however, may be slightly different. Cottage cheese is moister when you compare the two, so it may only be ideal when you don’t care about the consistency of the final dish. Instead, it would help if you used cottage cheese because it is easier to find in nearby grocery stores, unlike quark cheese.
If you desire a thicker consistency when making a cheese sauce with cottage cheese, add a little cornstarch then you can substitute just about the same amount as quark cheese.
Cream Cheese
This is another good replacement for quark cheese, especially in sweet dishes like cheesecake and other baking recipes; this is because it tends to have a sweet flavor rather than a sour flavor or tartness.
Suppose you need a substitute with the same consistency or texture. In that case, cream cheese should be your number one pick as it shares that same soft but firm texture associated with cottage cheese, so it holds when in baking recipes. The only thing to worry about when using cream cheese is its non-acidic nature. Still, you can fix this by adding a little lemon juice or vinegar. Instead, use a 1:1 ratio when substituting.
Greek Yogurt
If you wish to achieve a sour or tangy flavor to your finished dish, then opting for Greek yogurt as an alternative for quark cheese would be ideal. It is pretty easy to find in a grocery store, so obtaining one when you need to make a creamy dish wouldn’t be a problem.
You would undoubtedly love Greek yogurt if you buy quark cheese because of its nutrients, and it is a healthy alternative for quark and contains fewer calories than most dairy products.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What other substitutes can I use?
Mascarpone Cheese, ricotta cheese, sour cream, or Crème Fraîche can all replace quark cheese. If you don’t have any of these substitutes, then you can make your very own quark cheese with recipes on the internet.
Is Cheese Healthy?
Cheese is high in protein, calcium and fat, vitamin B-12, vitamin A riboflavin, and zinc. They contain many more nutrients too. Eating Cheese is healthy and can help with digestion issues.
Is labneh quark cheese?
Labneh is being strained, and the whey has been removed. It has a consistency between Cheese and yogurt, but it isn’t quark cheese.
Conclusion
Whether you want a creamy cheese as an appetizer or incorporated into a larger meal, quark cheese would be a good option. Still, when you can’t find quarks anywhere, there are options close enough to give you that desired result.