Cheesecake

When Marcus Porcius Cato made the first cheesecake back the heyday of the Greek Empire, he probably did not realize that his simple dairy recipe would be one of the world’s favorite desserts, even after several centuries. Indeed, the cheesecake has not lost its appeal and continues to evolve to meet the changing tastes of its aficionados.

For such a delicious cake, the cheesecake is actually rather simple. It is made of sugar, eggs, and cheese (usually cream cheese but ricotta is also often used in Italy), and other ingredients such as cookies, or cookie crusts, and cream. The more modern cheesecakes are topped with all kinds of tropical fruits like kiwi, mango, and strawberries, and are decorated with vanilla and chocolate.

Different people from different parts of the world have added their own twists to the traditional cheesecake, and each version is just as delicious as the next. The cottage cheese-based, world-famous New York cheesecake, for example, is loved the world over for its heavy use of cream and excellent consistency. Equally famous are the Italian-style cheesecakes that use delectable ricotta cheese and vanilla extract for extra flavor.

Almost all other food-loving countries have their own versions of cheesecakes as well. The Germans use quark cheese, Greece uses homegrown Mizithra cheese and Mascarpone cream, and Brazilians add in guava marmalade. Can you guess which country likes maple syrup on their cheesecake? You guessed it right – Canada.

The cheesecake has also found a place in Asia, where it has evolved into flan cakes, famous in Tokyo and in Manila. These flans are usually made of starch and eggs. The vegetarians have also whipped up their own cheesecake – they use tofu instead of cream cheese, and surprisingly, their version tastes just as good.

By Elizabeth Morgan