Mountainoak Cheese to launch artisanal Quark product at SIAL Canada food innovation show

Located on a family-owned dairy farm near New Hamburg, Ont.,  Mountainoak Cheese specializes in traditional Dutch-style Gouda cheeses  made with milk from their own cows. Quark is a mild, unripened cheese  that’s similar in taste and texture to Greek yoghurt, said Adam van  Bergeijk, Mountainoak co-founder and president. 

“Quark has been well-known in the Germanic parts of Europe for  centuries, but it’s relatively new to North America,” said van Bergeijk,  who emigrated to Canada in 1996 with his wife Hannie and family. “Quark  is a delicious, nutritious alternative to more fatty creams and  yoghurts and a rich source of protein that’s very popular among  high-performance athletes and other diet-conscious individuals, as well  as us regular folks.”

Mountainoak Plain Quark is made with just three ingredients:  pasteurized whole milk, bacterial culture, and rennet. It has double the  amount of protein found in Greek yoghurt, and contains a blend of  “good” bacteria that are easier on the digestive system than regular  cheese or yoghurt. With no added salt or sugar, Plain Quark is also high  in calcium and a good source of vitamins A and B. It can be used in a  wide range of sweet and savoury recipes as a substitute for cream  cheese, yoghurt or cottage cheese. It’s a great breakfast option mixed  with fruit and granola or spread on toast.

“We make all of our cheeses the right way. We use only milk from our  own dairy cows, fed with crops that we’ve sown and harvested ourselves  so that all Mountainoak products capture the unique flavours of our  land,” said van Bergeijk.

Mountainoak Quark is available in three flavours: Plain, Maple Syrup  and Blueberry. The maple syrup and blueberries are also sourced locally  from neighbouring farms. A strawberry version, using locally grown  berries, is planned for this summer.

Mountainoak products are sold at the farm store in New Hamburg as  well as specialty shops and grocery stores throughout Ontario. Quark has  been in select stores such as Pfennings in St. Agatha since early 2019.

At the SIAL Canada show, you can visit Mountainoak Cheese at the Dairy Farmers of Ontario booth (booth #2242).

“Quark is great in everything from lasagna to cheesecake and  delicious all on its own,” said van Bergeijk. “We’re proud to share our  love of all-natural, high-quality cheese with our friends and  neighbours, and very pleased to have the opportunity to introduce new  Mountainoak Quark to our food industry colleagues at the SIAL Canada  show.”

For more information:

Mountainoakcheese.ca  |  info@mountainoakcheese.ca