National Cheesecake Day
National Cheesecake Day is the creamiest and yummiest holiday held on July 30 where America samples and indulges in some of the most delicious cheesecakes ever!
Separately, cheese and cake are beloved all over the world. But taken together, they attract a veritable cult following. Cheesecake is thought to have originated in ancient Greece, as evidenced by its earliest mention in Greek physician, Aegimus’, a book on the art of making cheesecakes. Since then, cheesecake has been passed down through the generations and entered into the fabric of numerous cultures.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL CHEESECAKE DAY
Weirdly enough, the origins of the Cheesecakes are not known to us but it can be traced as early as back to ancient Greece. The recipe used back then only consisted of the most basic ingredients such as cheese, flour, and honey. Interestingly, cheesecake was fed to the greek athletes during the Olympics held back in 776 B.C. It was not until when the Romans conquered ancient Greece that eggs and proper baking methods were introduced.
As time went by, the recipe was modified several times to get that perfect ratio of smooth to creamy consistency, and this led us to the American cheesecake that we all know and love! In 1872, New York dairyman William Lawrence unintentionally came up with cream cheese while he was trying to replicate a French cheese called the Neufchatel. Talk about luck, right! Cream cheese became so popular and the demand for it became so high that it was packaged and distributed to all the local stores in the area.
Time went by, and an immigrant named Arnold Reuben from Germany, who lived in New York, was once served cheese pie at an event he attended. He was so fascinated and intrigued by the dessert, that he decided to experiment with the recipe until he came up with what we know today as the New York Cheesecake.
The popularity of the New York Cheesecake increased so much that different cities came up with their own versions, for example, the Chicago cheesecake, the Pennsylvanian cheesecake, etc. It became such an important part of American culture, that in 1985, it was decided that on July 30 every year National Cheesecake Day would be celebrated.
WHY WE LOVE NATIONAL CHEESECAKE DAY
A. It’s easy to transform a cheesecake into a masterpiece
Despite it’s creamy taste, cheesecake is rather dull-looking. Luckily, the freshness and flexibility of its ingredients can take a cheesecake from ordinary to extraordinary! All you have to do is add a topping. Pop a few blueberries, strawberries or cherries on top, add a dribble of chocolate sauce, and voila—you’ve turned your kitchen into a Michelin Star restaurant.
B. Every country has its own version of cheesecake
You could travel the world and eat nothing but cheesecake (although we don’t necessarily recommend that.) Almost every country has its own spin on cheesecake, with slight variations in the types of cheese used and the way the dessert is baked.
C. Cheesecake has a fascinating history
Cheesecake was originally invented by the ancient Greeks. When Rome conquered Greece, the Romans loved the recipe so much that they coopted it and modified it by including crushed cheese and eggs. Then, they baked the cheesecake under a hot brick and served it warm.
References:
“National Cheesecake Day” │ https://nationaltoday.com/national-cheesecake-day/