Happy National Cheesecake Day! In celebration of this delectable holiday, here’s a look at some of the most delicious cheesecakes from around the world.
Germany
German-style cheesecake, or kasekuchen, is made with a local cheese called quark. Quark cheese is soft like cream cheese but comes from sour milk, giving it a taste closer to sour cream than cream cheese. This light and mild cheesecake is served with a shortbread crust.
France
French cheesecake recipes usually call for Neufchâtel cheese, which you might recognize from the dairy aisle as the low-fat alternative to cream cheese. The French variety is much creamier than the typical American cheesecake, and usually much shorter, too. Crusts are typically flaky, flour-based shortbreads.
Italy
In Italy, cheesecake is made with ricotta or mascarpone cheese, and you’ll often find candied fruit in the cake, too. The result? A crumbly, creamy, melt-in-your-mouth cheesecake that might make you think, “New York-style? Forget about it!”
New York
As the gold standard for the American version of this cheesy dessert, the New York-style cheesecake is dense, creamy and rich, thanks to a dollop of sour cream. These graham cracker-encrusted beauties are often topped with strawberries, chocolate or a host of other sweet treats.
Japan
The Japanese spin on cheesecake uses eggs with cornstarch or flour to create a fluffy, spongy and cake-like consistency. You’ll often find Japanese cheesecakes flavored with green tea, filled with fruit preserves or topped with fresh fruit.
Chicago
Just as pizza divides New Yorkers and Chicago natives, cheesecake maintains a fierce divide as to who does it better. Chicago-style cheesecake is much lighter than its New York counterpart and wouldn’t dare to don a graham cracker crust. Instead, Chicago-style cheesecakes are served with a shortbread crust.
Sweden
Swedish cheesecake, or ostkaka, is traditionally made by curdling milk with rennet, but cottage cheese can be used as a shortcut. Ostkaka is served warm from the oven, usually with a healthy dose of jam and ice cream.
What’s your favorite cheesecake? Let us know below!
(Main image: fred_v)
