You may be asking yourself, what on earth is Quark? The name suggests it belongs in a family of game bird species and whilst we can assure you it’s not a form of poultry, it does offer a substantial amount of protein per serving and packs a nutritional punch! 

What is Quark?

Think of Quark as a cross between cottage cheese and yogurt, categorised as a soft, fresh (un-aged) cheese. The texture is smooth and not dis-similar to that of sour cream. Quark is made using a blend of cheese and yogurt cultures, fermented in warm milk until the curds set. The whey is then strained off and you are left with Quark. Similar in nature to cottage cheese, however Quark is smooth in texture from constant stirring during the production process.[1] And, the taste is absolutely delicious – Paris Creek Farms Bio-Dynamic Full Cream Quark tastes like a very thick Greek yogurt – yum!

What are the benefits of Quark?

If Quark is so alike to cottage cheese or yogurt, why should you choose Quark instead? Well, there are a few reasons…

• Quark typically has a lower fat content to other cheese products, yet is high in protein and calcium[2]
• Due to being made using yogurt and cheese cultures, Quark contains an abundance of live, multi-strain probiotics[3]
• Quark is easy to digest making it a food that is especially great for sensitive tummies and those wanting to ‘re-set’ their gut flora.[4]

Paris Creek Farms Bio-Dynamic Full Cream Quark is made with certified bio-dynamic organic milk and contains 15.6g of protein per serve and an abundance of probiotics. It has a light and delicate flavour and is easy to digest, making it a great meal or ingredient, especially for those who have sensitive stomachs. As Quark is so high in protein, it is a great food option for making you feel nice and full, and if you frequent the gym, Quark is a go-to food for recovery.[5]

So, how do you use Quark?

Quark is a very versatile product. Easily incorporated into many dishes as an alternative to traditional ingredients, Quark can be used on toast instead of cottage cheese, with granola instead of yogurt or on a cracker with smoked salmon instead of cream cheese. However, Quark has to be most famously used as an alternative to cream cheese in German cheesecake recipes.

As a traditional European ingredient used across many dishes, German Quark Cheesecake recipes date back many generations.

Isabella and Mary from @cuginicucina kindly wrote out their Oma’s cheesecake recipe and have kindly allowed us to share the recipe!

“This recipe originated from my great grandmother, passed to my Oma and then down to my mum. Currently the recipe is on a very old piece of paper!” – Isabella, @cuginicucina

Oma’s Quark Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Pastry:

100g of Plain Flour

50g of Cornflour

1 teaspoon of baking powder

80g of caster sugar

1 egg yolk

80 g unsalted butter

1 teaspoon of Vanilla Bean extract

1 tablespoon breadcrumbs

Quark Filling:

2 x 450g tubs of Paris Creek Farms Bio-Dynamic Full Cream Quark

180g Caster Sugar

1 tablespoons Vanilla Bean extract

50g Cornflour

2 egg yolks

3 egg whites

* Note: have the quark and eggs almost at room temperature. 

Method 

1.            Preheat a fan-forced oven to 180c. Grease and line a 24/25cm round springform pan. 

2.            For the pastry, add to a food processor the flour, cornflour, baking powder, sugar and egg yolk. Blitz for 30 seconds. Then add in the butter at room temperature (not soft) and mix until a dough has formed. Wrap the dough in glad wrap and place in the fridge for ½ an hour. 

3.            For the quark filling, add the quark with the sugar, vanilla extract, cornflour, egg yolks in a cake mixer until creamy (careful not to overmix).

4.            Lightly whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form, and carefully fold through the quark mixture. 

5.            Remove the dough from the fridge. Using a roll pin, roll into a large circle to line the base and sides of the springform pan. With a fork, pierce the pastry base, then sprinkle with breadcrumbs (this absorbs the moisture of the quark to ensure a crisp base). 

6.            Spoon in the quark filling and bake at 180c for 50-60 minutes or until golden on top and cooked through. Once cooked, leave it in the oven with the door ajar to slowly cool. 

We hope you enjoy this family recipe via @cuginicucina

Are you looking for creative recipe inspiration to enjoy with your delicious organic dairy products? If so, you might like some of our other articles:

Breakfast Brulee Recipe: A Delicious and Indulgent Start to Your Day

What the Quark? What It Is, Health Benefits and How to Use It

For the Love of Yogurt: 10 Tempting Recipes

5 Delicious and Indulgent Baked Brie Recipes

[1] Dairy Australia, ‘What is Quark?’ 30/04/21

[2] Dairy Australia, ‘What is Quark?’ 30/04/21

[3] Paris Creek Farms, Information Centre, “What the Quark? What it is, health benefits and how to use it” 18/12/20

[4] Paris Creek Farms, Information Centre, “What the Quark? What it is, health benefits and how to use it” 18/12/20

[5] Paris Creek Farms, Our Range, Full Cream Bio-Dynamic Quark 450g