Quark (Kvarg)

Brand: Lindhals

Cost: 20KR

Found at: Coop

“Oo! Yoghurt!” I said, unaware of the can of worms I was about to open.

“No!” said Emil, appalled, “That’s kvarg! Its thicker than yoghurt – and has more protein.”

“So, like Greek yoghurt?” I asked, apparently offending Emil’s delicate sensibilities.

“No!” he said, shocked that I would even suggest such a thing, “It’s nothing like that.”

And we then proceeded to have a long discussion about kvarg as a Swedish institution. How it is more like cheese than like yoghurt, with a high fat and protein content, and which is made with acid and stirred into a creamy texture. It is similar to paneer or white cheese or even cottage cheese, he told me, and it is not yoghurt. Nothing like it.

Which is interesting because it tastes exactly like yoghurt. A thicker sort of yoghurt, certainly, but still well within the category of what I define as yoghurt. That’s not to say that it isn’t good – its amazing. Some of the best yoghurt I’ve ever had, in fact. But I am obviously missing some crucial distinction between the two. I guess I’ll just have to keep eating it in hopes that I eventually figure it out. And, of course, not mentioning the “y-word” in mixed company.