A modern cheese variety, Quark features a low fat content of about 0.3 to 11%. When made with 0.3% fat content, it is firm, crumbly, and dry. Made with a 5% fat content, its texture resembles that of low-fat American ricotta. Quark with an 11% fat content resembles very smooth cream cheese.

When Quark is used to create a processed cheese, it may be combined with cream, butter, onions, and paprika, and is intended to be used as a snack or condiment. Quark is also used to make a variety of fresh sour-curd cheeses in Germany, Austria, and the Czech and Slovak Republics.