National Cheesecake Day
Cheesecakes are popular desserts at bakeries and restaurants around the world, especially so today, because it is National Cheesecake Day! Cheesecakes usually consist of a mix of cheese, sugar, and eggs over a thin crust, with a topping of sweet or salty items. The type of cheese that is used often depends on the location of where the cheesecake is made. Common cheeses used around the world include cream cheese, cottage cheese, ricotta, and quark. Toppings may vary by location as well. Cheesecakes are either baked or chilled by refrigeration. Although, baked cheesecakes are usually chilled too, after they are baked, in order to help set their filling.
One of the most popular cheesecakes in America is "Jewish cheesecake," which is often called "New York cheesecake," because it became popular in New York City restaurants and bakeries. It consists of smooth cream cheese, a crispy crust of graham cracker or cookie crumbs, and a topping of a variety of things such as nuts, pieces of fruit, fruit sauces, sour cream, and chocolate or caramel syrup. A lighter version of the cheesecake is called "French cheesecake," which is often topped with fruit glazed with jelly.
Another type of cheesecake popular in America is "Italian cheesecake," which is usually made with ricotta cheese and set in a pastry crust. Bits of candied fruit are often used in the recipe. Fittingly, these cheesecakes are also popular in Italy as well. In Europe, quark is another popular cheese used in cheesecakes.
Cheesecakes have been popular for centuries. Early versions of cheesecakes may have originated and existed in ancient Greece. It wasn't until 1440 that they were first mentioned in print, and they did not begin appearing more regularly in recipe books until the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
National Cheesecake Day is observed next on Tuesday, July 30th, 2019. It has always been observed annually on July 30th.
How to Observe
Celebrate the day by going to a bakery or restaurant and having a cheesecake. Some places that sell cheesecake even have specials in honor of the day. Perhaps you could stop at one of the restaurants with some of the best cheesecake in your state, or get some at the Cheesecake Factory. Making your own may be a pretty good way to spend the day as well!
|Observed||First Year||Last Year|
|annually on July 30th||-||-|