This article is part of a series highlighting new makers discovered at the 2015 Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City.

What’s cool, ultra creamy, and super high in protein? Nope, we’re not talking about Greek yogurt—it’s the “new American” quark from Misha Dairy in New York City. Quark is a fresh cheese with a thick, rich texture. It’s “a staple in central and Eastern Europe,” explains cofounder Kamilya Abilova. “I’m from Kazakhstan, and at home we would have a whole fridge just for cultured dairy.”

Misha Dairy co-founder Kamilya Abilova poses with her quark.

It was this tradition of cheesemaking (and cheese eating!) that inspired Abilova and her co-founders to bring quark to the American market: “In the US, cultured dairy is very tart, very sour,” she says. “We [at Misha Dairy] wanted to get rid of the sourness. And we realized it’s all about the cheese cultures.” Misha Dairy imports its cultures from Europe to achieve the desired mild, smooth taste, and offers four flavors of quark: original (plain), strawberry, peach mango, and vanilla bean coconut. Abilova suggests using the latter as a low sugar, high protein ice cream replacement, or dolloping any of the flavors onto a bowl of morning oatmeal.

Featured image courtesy of Misha Dairy.

Rebecca Haley-Park

Rebecca Haley-Park is culture's former editor and resident stinky cheese cheerleader. A native New Englander, she holds a BFA in creative writing from University of Maine at Farmington.