Misha New American quark: It’s got a thicker denser texture than Greek yogurt, but a milder flavor

Another start-up hoping to disrupt the dairy case was New York based Misha Dairy, which is looking to bring quark – a European-style spoonable fresh cheese that's high in protein and low in fat and sugar – to a US audience.

Each pot of Misha quark (pronounced 'kvark' in German) is made in upstate New York with four cups of grass-fed organic milk, and contains 17g of protein plus a small amount of cane sugar, said co-founder Kamilya Abilova: “It’s got a thicker denser texture than Greek yogurt, but a milder flavor.”​

While securing any real estate in the dairy case is tough, retailers are looking for something new beyond Greek yogurt and natural stores such as Whole Foods are looking for grass-fed products, she added.

So how does Misha quark compare with fellow Expo West exhibitor Elli Quark​​ – another brand seeking to reinvent quark for American consumers?

“Competition is good as we want to raise awareness about quark,”​ said Abilova. “But the products taste different as we use different cultures. We also use cane sugar​ [whereas Elli Quark - which debuted at Expo West in 2013 and has since secured listings at stores nationwide - uses stevia and erythritol].”