World Quark Day

World Quark Day is January 19th

Celebrating Quark, a superfood from Europe that is low in calories and fat and offers a high-protein alternative to higher fat cheeses. 

Is it science or is it about a duck or a cow?

This day is not to be confused with the Quark discovered and named in 1964, by Murray Gell-Mann and George Zweig. Elementary particles that combine to form composite particles known as hadrons.

History

Quark supposedly dates as far back as the 14th century - popular throughout Central Europe. Quark comes from the German language, but likely dates back to the Slavic language. For example, in Poland the word for curd cheese is twaróg, while in the Czech Republic and Slovakia curd cheese is known as tvaroh.

What is Quark and How It’s Made

However, this Quark is a fresh dairy considered to be a soft cheese, good for any sweet or savory dish.

It is not like cottage cheese - cottage cheese has more solid pieces of curd through it, whereas quark is spoonable and soft. It is not like fromage frais - there is a similarity in terms of texture, but quark is higher in protein, lower in fat and sugar. Quark looks like yogurt but it's technically a soft cheese and can be used as a thick yogurt. The best way to get to know quark is experiment with it.

Quark is pasteurized skimmed milk, which undergoes the process of acidification using lactic acid cultures (the kind that you find in good gut bacteria). Once the Quark reaches its proper pH level it goes through a filtration process that separates and concentrates the milk proteins (casein and whey). Quark dates back to the Slavic word tvoriti, meaning to make, create or form. This etymology is explained through the specific process necessary to produce twaróg (the Polish version of Quark) – which was made by warming formed soured milk. Which is essentially curd cheese both through the physical process and linguistically.

How to Make Your Own Quark and Recipes

Homemade Quark
Salmon with Lemon Quark
Quark Truffles

Health Benefits

• Quark has bacteria in it that promotes good gut health
• Quark is low in fat and calories - making it a healthy alternative
• Quark is high in calcium and protein in comparison to other dairy products

The best way to celebrate this day is try something new - try Quark. You won’t know what you’re missing out on until you try it. Experiment with Quark, put it on crackers, mix it with fruit or granola or make savory or sweet dishes with it.