Cheesecake is a kind of rich sweet tart made with cream and fresh cheese (typically cream cheese or ricotta) on a biscuit base.
The first “cheese cake” was created on the Greek island of Samos. Physical anthropologists excavated cheese moldsthere which were dated circa 2,000 BC.
The Ancient Greeks used the simple ingredients of flour, wheat, honey and cheese formed into a cake and baked.
Greek brides and grooms were also known to use cheesecake as a wedding cake. It also became a custom for a Greek bride to bake and serve cheesecakes to her new husband’s friends as a gesture of hospitality. Incidentally, this concept eventually paved the way for wedding cakes to become a tradition that continues today.
History has the first recorded mention of cheesecake as being served to the athletes during the first Olympic Games held in 776 BC.
When the Romans conquered Greece, the cheesecake recipe was just one spoil of war. The Romans spread cheesecake from Greece to across Europe.
Centuries later, cheesecake appeared in America, with a variety of regional recipes brought over by immigrants.
Modern commercial American cream cheese was developed in 1872, when William Lawrence, from Chester, New York, while looking for a way to recreate the soft, French cheese Neufchâtel, accidentally came up with a way of making an “unripened cheese” that is heavier and creamier; other dairymen came up with similar creations independently.
Different variations of this dessert have evolved over time by adding different flavors and toppings, these can range from such flavors as vanilla, spices, chocolate, pumpkin and numerous fruit flavors such as mango, lemon, fig and apricot.
However, modern cheesecake is not usually classified as a cake, despite the name. People who classify it as a torte point to the presence of many eggs, which are the sole source of leavening, as a key factor. For others, the overall structure, with the separate crust, the soft filling, and the absence of flour, is compelling evidence that it is a custard pie. Other sources identify it as a flan or tart.
Everybody has a certain image of New York Style Cheesecake. According to New Yorkers, only the great cheesecake makers are located in New York, and the great cheesecake connoisseurs are also in New York. In the 1900s, cheesecakes were very popular in New York. Every restaurant had their version. I believe the name “New York Cheesecake” came from the fact that New Yorkers referred to the cheesecakes made in New York as “New York Cheesecake.” New Yorkers say that cheesecake was not really cheesecake until it was cheesecake in New York.
The Cheesecake Factory, Inc. is an American restaurant company and distributor of cheesecakes based in the United States. It is one of the most popular chain restaurants in the US. In total, there are more than 200 locations. The Cheesecake Factory is known for its extensive menu, which is nearly 6,000 words long and lists more than 250 items.
The most expensive cheesecake sold for $4,592.42 (£3,496.44; 3,955.57€) and was made by chef Raffaele Ronca (USA) at Ristorante Rafele in New York, NY, USA on October 30, 2017. The cheesecake included ingredients such as buffalo ricotta, white truffle, and gold leaves.
The largest cheesecake weighed 4,240 kg (9,347.60 lb) and was created by Cheeseberry Company (Russian Federation), in Stavropol, Russian Federation, on 23 September 2017. The cake measured 2.8 m (9 ft 2 in) in diameter, and 0.85 m (2 ft 9 in) tall.
There is an all-garlic restaurant in Stockholm where they offer a garlic cheesecake.