Cheesecake is a sweet dessert consisting of one or more layers. The main, and thickest layer, consists of a mixture of soft, fresh cheese (typically cream cheese or ricotta), eggs, and sugar; if there is a bottom layer it often consists of a crust or base made from crushed cookies (or digestive biscuits), graham crackers, pastry, or sponge cake. It may be baked or unbaked (usually refrigerated). Cheesecake is usually sweetened with sugar and may be flavored or topped with fruit, whipped cream, nuts, cookies, fruit sauce, or chocolate syrup. Cheesecake can be prepared in many flavors, such as strawberry, pumpkin, key lime, chocolate, Oreo, chestnut, or toffee.
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History
Smooth fresh unripened cheese sweetened with honey must be almost as old as cheese-making itself, and "land of milk and honey" is a deep-rooted proverb. An ancient form of cheesecake may have been a popular dish in ancient Greece even prior to Romans' adoption of it with the conquest of Greece. The earliest attested mention of a cheesecake is by the Greek physician Aegimus (5th century BCE), who wrote a book on the art of making cheesecakes (???????????????? ?????????--plakountopoiikon suggramma). The earliest extant cheesecake recipes are found in Cato the Elder's De Agri Cultura, which includes recipes for two cakes for religious uses: libum and placenta. Of the two, placenta is most like most modern cheesecakes, having a crust that is separately prepared and baked.
A more modern version is found in Forme of Cury, an English cookbook from 1390. On this basis, chef Heston Blumenthal has argued that cheesecake is an English invention.
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.
Modern cheesecake comes in two different types. Along with the baked cheesecake, some cheesecakes are made with uncooked cream-cheese on a crumbled-biscuit base. This type of cheesecake was invented in the United States.
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Composition
Almost all modern cheesecakes in the United States and Canada use cream cheese; in Italy, cheesecakes use ricotta and mascarpone; Germany, the Netherlands, and Poland use quark. Cheesecakes are most easily baked in a leak-proof springform pan, often paired with a water bath to more evenly distribute the heat. Because of the high density of most cheesecakes, they continue baking for some time after removal from an oven.
The early Greeks considered cheesecake a cake. Some modern authors point to the presence of many eggs, the sole source of leavening, as proof that it is a torte. Still others claim that the separate crust, the soft filling, and the absence of flour prove that it is a custard pie.
National varieties
Cheesecakes can be broadly categorized into two basic types: baked and unbaked. Each comes in a variety of styles determined by region:
Africa
Asia
Asian-style cheesecake flavors include matcha (powdered Japanese green tea), lychee, and mango. Asian-style cheesecakes are also lighter in flavor and are sometimes light and spongy in texture. Compared to its counterparts, Asian cheesecake is also considerably less sweet.
Australia
Australian cheesecakes are more commonly unbaked. Common flavors include passionfruit, chocolate, raspberry, lemon, caramel, and vanilla.
Europe
North America
The United States has several different recipes for cheesecake and this usually depends on the region in which the cake was baked, as well as the cultural background of the person baking it. These cheesecakes are typically baked before serving.
Usually, cheesecake is made from cream cheese, eggs, and egg yolks to add a richness and a smooth consistency. It is baked in a special 13 to 15 cm (5.1 to 5.9 in) tall springform pan in many restaurants. Some recipes use cottage cheese and lemon for distinct texture and flavor or add a drizzle of chocolate or strawberry sauce to the basic recipe. A list of some variations of cheesecakes in the US is below:
- New York-style cheesecake relies upon heavy cream or sour cream. The typical New York cheesecake is rich and has a dense, smooth, and creamy consistency. Sour cream makes the cheesecake more resilient to freezing and is the method by which most frozen cheesecakes are made. However, a lavish variant uses sour cream as a topping, applied when the cheesecake is cooked. It is mixed with vanilla extract and sugar and replaced in the oven, essentially making the cheesecake twice-baked.
- Chicago-style cheesecake is a baked cream-cheese version which is firm on the outside with a soft and creamy texture on the inside. These cheesecakes are often made in a greased cake pan and are relatively fluffy in texture. The crust used with this style of cheesecake is most commonly made from shortbread which is crushed and mixed with sugar and butter. Some frozen cheesecakes are Chicago-style.
- Pennsylvania Dutch-style cheesecake uses a slightly tangy type of cheese with larger curds and less water content, called pot or farmer's cheese. It can be found in Amish, Mennonite, Ex-Amish, and German-American communities throughout southern Pennsylvania. It can also be found in Amish communities through the US, and sometimes in other countries with Amish communities such as Canada, Mexico, and Russia. This cheesecake is not very common outside of these communities.
- Philadelphia-style cheesecake is lighter in texture, yet richer in flavor than New York-style cheesecake. This cheesecake is rare. New York-style cheesecake is commonly eaten in Philadelphia, where this variant is from. However, it still can be found in specialty bakeries throughout the city.
- Farmer cheese cheesecake is the contemporary implementation for the traditional use of baking to preserve fresh cheese and is often baked in a cake form, along with fresh fruit like a tart. This version is very similar to Central and Eastern European recipes that use Quark/Farmer's Cheese. Most communities that make this have a large amount of people of Eastern or Central European descent.
- Country-style cheesecake uses buttermilk to produce a firm texture while increasing acidity to extend shelf life. This can be found is some rural communities throughout the country. Outside of rural communities, this cheesecake is quite uncommon.
Cheesecakes represented as being "New York style" are the most common variety in the United States; the term has considerable prestige. However, increasing distance from New York City itself tends to decrease the accuracy of the label, with cheesecakes made further from the city decreasing in density and richness and increasingly over-sweetened by New York standards. The genuine article is most likely to be found at Jewish-run delicatessens in large urban areas and high-end restaurants that make a point of serving gourmet-quality food.
Savory cheesecakes are also made, often for an hors d'oeuvre or served with accompanying salads.
South America
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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