Cheese Database

Brânză de vaci vs Quark

Brânză de vaci

Facts

Milk
Cow
Texture
Fresh
Type
Fresh
Rind
No rind
Country
Moldova

Brânză de vaci is a fresh cow's milk cheese from Moldova. The name means cow cheese, and the same words are used for a similar fresh curd in Romania. It is soft, white, and crumbly, closer to quark or cottage cheese than to a wheel with a rind. Makers drain soured milk after gentle heat separates the curd from the whey. The result is mild, slightly tangy, and ready to eat without a long rest.

Quark, field guide plate
Quark, photographed

Quark

Facts

Milk
Cow
Texture
Fresh
Type
Fresh
Rind
No rind
Country
Germany

Quark is a fresh acid-set cheese from Germany, made from cow's milk and eaten soon after the curd is drained. The body is smooth and spoonable, closer to a thick soft cheese than to a sliced wheel. Rennet is slight or absent, so the set comes from lactic acid rather than from a long press. German cooks keep it for savory spreads and for baking. It has no rind, and it is not aged into a hard cheese.