In Germany, Austria or Poland, quark is as ordinary as bread. In Spain and the UK it has been winning shelf space for a few years thanks to people who train and watch what they eat. In Vietnam, almost nobody knows it. That is exactly why we think it is one of the clearest opportunities for a European dairy maker in Southeast Asia: a product that fits what Vietnamese consumers are starting to ask for, in a fast-growing market, with a zero tariff for European origin.
This article is an opinion, but not a hunch. It rests on public data, and every source is listed at the end. We also cover the risks, because there are some, and how we would handle them.
What quark is and why it fits the trend
Quark is a fresh, unripened cheese with a creamy texture, made by curdling milk and draining the whey. Its low-fat version (Magerquark in Germany) has around 11 to 12 grams of protein per 100 grams, under 1 gram of fat and about 65 to 70 kilocalories, depending on the brand. Öko-Test, the German consumer magazine, puts it simply: quark and skyr provide more protein than yogurt, and low-fat quark even slightly more than skyr.
In other words, it is exactly what millions of urban consumers around the world are looking for today: lots of protein, little fat, few calories, simple ingredients and versatility. It is eaten plain, with fruit, in smoothies, in sauces or in light desserts. And it is usually cheaper to produce than skyr, its direct competitor on European shelves.
A dairy market with a long way to grow
Milk consumption in Vietnam is still low for a country of over one hundred million people with a middle class that grows every year. According to figures presented at the conference on the development of Vietnam's dairy industry in August 2025, average consumption is 26 to 28 litres per person per year. The official target is 40 litres by 2030 and 70 litres by 2045.
Local production alone cannot cover that growth. Domestic fresh milk meets around 40% of demand, and the country imports nearly 1 billion US dollars a year in milk ingredients and specialised nutrition alone. Dairy imports grew 23% between January and November 2025, according to Ho Chi Minh City's trade promotion centre. The figure we find most telling: purchases from Germany, the home of quark, reached 73.49 million US dollars in those eleven months, up 58.4% on the previous year.
For us this means two things. First, Vietnamese consumers already buy imported dairy and are willing to pay for it. Second, European products are gaining share, not losing it.
Vietnamese consumers already want protein
The health trend in Vietnam is not a niche fad. According to figures shared on World Obesity Day 2026, about 19.5% of the population, some 20 million people, are overweight or obese. Among children and teenagers aged 5 to 19, prevalence rose from 8.5% in 2010 to 19% in 2020, according to the National Institute of Nutrition, and it is clearly higher in cities (26.8%) than in rural areas (18.3%). Urban families know this and are changing what goes into the fridge.
The best proof that the category exists comes from the local leader itself. Vinamilk, the country's largest dairy company, launched a high-protein Greek yogurt in its Green Farm range, and that product won Best Yogurt at the 2025 World Dairy Innovation Awards, held in Amsterdam during the Global Dairy Congress. When the market leader invests in developing and winning awards for a high-protein dairy product, the message is clear: there is demand, and consumers already understand the benefit.
Quark joins that conversation with an easy story to tell: more protein per spoonful than Greek yogurt, and almost no fat.
The retail channel is growing at full speed
Fresh dairy needs cold storage and good distribution, and Vietnam has changed a lot in a few years. In 2025 alone, the WinMart+ chain opened 764 new outlets, reaching 4,592 stores nationwide. Bach Hoa Xanh plans to open about 1,000 more stores in 2026. According to Kantar Worldpanel, modern trade already accounts for 35 to 40% of retail sales in cities. And the research firm Q&Me forecasts that convenience stores and mini supermarkets will reach a record 9,671 outlets in 2026.
Add premium supermarkets in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, gyms, health cafés and e-commerce with chilled delivery. Those are exactly the places where a product like quark can start.
Zero tariff for European quark
Here the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) works in your favour. Quark is classified as fresh cheese (heading 0406.10). According to the table published by New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Vietnam's tariff on European fresh cheese was phased down from the agreement's entry into force in August 2020 to 0% in 2025. Exporters from outside any trade agreement pay the general rate, which was 5% in 2020.
To be honest: New Zealand and Australia also enter at zero thanks to their own agreements, so the EVFTA gives no edge over them. What it does give is a level playing field with the big Pacific dairy exporters and an advantage over origins without an agreement. And in quark, Pacific competition is small: it is a product with European heritage, and that story sells too.
The risks, without sugar-coating
Quark having potential does not make it easy. These are the points we would study before shipping the first pallet:
- Nobody knows what it is. The word "quark" means nothing to a Vietnamese consumer. It has to be presented by what it delivers: a high-protein, low-fat fresh cheese, with a Vietnamese name and explanation on the pack.
- Taste. The yogurt that dominates Vietnamese shelves is usually sweet. Plain quark, tangy and thick, can be a surprise. That is why it makes sense to also launch fruit, whipped or drinkable versions, and keep the plain one for the sports crowd.
- Shelf life and distance. It is a fresh, chilled product, and sea freight from Europe takes weeks. There are three paths: a premium range by air to start in the big cities, longer-life formats, or, in the medium term, producing in Vietnam with a local dairy partner.
- Price. It will be a premium product at first. The target audience, urban, young and health-conscious, exists, but the price has to be set carefully against local Greek yogurt.
- Paperwork. Product registration under Vietnamese food safety rules, Vietnamese labelling, a licensed importer and a certified cold chain. None of this is exotic, but it has to be done in the right order.
How we would approach it
If you make quark in Europe, this is how we would validate the market without taking too much risk:
- A small, measurable market test in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi: premium supermarkets, gyms and online shops with chilled delivery. Few SKUs: one plain and two flavoured.
- A clear message in Vietnamese: protein, low fat, European origin. Do not explain what quark is in the abstract; explain what it does for you.
- Partnerships with those who already have the audience: trainers, nutritionists and gym chains. Vinamilk's high-protein yogurt already leans on that channel, which is a good hint of where to start.
- Measure and decide: sell-through per store, repeat purchase and accepted price. With that data you decide whether to scale with imports or study local production.
Our view
Vietnam brings together what we look for in an export opportunity: a dairy market that is growing and depends on imports, urban consumers who already ask for protein, a modern retail channel that multiplies every year, and a zero tariff for European products. Quark fits all of that and, on top, has almost no direct competition. Whoever arrives first and explains it well can define the category.
It is not a market to enter blind, but it is one to enter early. If you would like to study it for your product, our Vietnam market entry service helps you validate demand, find an importer and distributor, and prepare the entry step by step. For the tariff detail, see our guide to the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement.