National Cheesecake Day is observed annually on July 30th. Cheesecake is a delicious dessert that is loved by millions around the country. It is a sweet dessert that is a mixture of soft fresh cheese, cream cheese or cottage cheese, eggs and sugar on a crust made from crushed graham crackers, crushed cookies, pastry or sponge cake.
Cheesecakes can be prepared baked or unbaked, can be flavored and are often served topped with fruit, fruit sauce, chocolate or whipped cream. There are many flavors in which cheesecakes can be prepared, some of which are blueberry, strawberry, pumpkin, chocolate, key lime, lemon, orange, raspberry or toffee.
It is possible that an ancient form of cheesecake may have been a popular dish in ancient Greece. It has been found that the earliest attested mention of a cheesecake is by Greek physician Aegimus, who wrote a book on the art of making cheesecakes.
James Kraft developed a form of pasteurized cream cheese in 1912. In 1928, Kraft acquired the Philadelphia trademark and marketed pasteurized Philadelphia Cream Cheese which is now the most commonly used cheese for cheesecake.
North America has several different styles of cheesecakes:
- New York-style cheesecake
- Pennsylvania Dutch-style cheesecake
- Philadelphia-style
- Farmer cheese cheesecake
- Country-style cheesecake
- Lactose-free cheesecake
- Cheesecake Kludys
- Chicago Style cheesecake
- Savory cheesecake
