Cheesy goodness topped with chocolate or fruit flavors. Can't resist it? It's okay! Today (July 30) is National Cheesecake Day!
It doesn't take a lot of ingredients to create the sinfully sweet dessert. Just eggs, sugar and a lot of cream cheese or cottage cheese. The crust can be made with crushed graham crackers, cookies, pastry or sponge cake. There are several styles of cheesecake for you to make:
- New York: Most commonly made. It has more eggs and is richer than other styles.
- Pennsylvania Dutch: Made with pot or farmer cheese. Pot cheese is a soft, crumbly unaged cheese.
- Philadelphia: Lighter in texture and creamier than New York
- Chicago: Uses more cream cheese than New York style, resulting in a creamier center.
According to culinary schools, the cheesecake was a popular dish in ancient Greece. When the Romans conquered Greece, they started making cheesecakes as well. Culinaryschools.com even writes, the first Olympic athletes were offered small cheesecakes at the games.
The New York-style cheesecake many of us enjoy today is thanks to one restaurant owner back in 1929. Culinary schools say the owner switched the recipe from the European style (which used cottage cheese) by adding cream cheese.
There you have it, a little history on one of the most popular desserts around. So, grab a fork, grab your favorite cheesecake flavor, and dig in.
