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15 Scrumptious & Fun Cheesecake Facts

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Beano Facts Team
Last Updated:  October 13th 2022

Is there anything in the universe more delicious than cheesecake? The answer is definitely no, and we've got 15 amazing facts to prove it! From Ancient Greece to the modern day, find out all about the delicious history of cheesecake and why we love it so much! And if you enjoyed these food facts, check out more with these Tasty Food Facts, this Ultimate Healthy Eating Quiz, or this Banana Quiz!

1. Cheesecakes date back to ancient Greece

Yes, cheesecake might feel like a modern dessert but it actually dates all the way back to the ancient world! When was cheesecake served? During the Olympic games! Not sure today's athletes would think cake was a healthy fitness snack, but it must have been a nice treat!

2. The ancient Romans liked Cheesecake too

The ancient Romans had their own cheesecake - Savillum. It was sweetened with honey instead of sugar, and one ancient recipe suggests sprinkling poppy seeds on top. There's still recipes out there for it today, if you want to try an authentic flavour of ancient Rome!

3. It's been eaten all over the world for hundreds of years

Yes, cheesecake really is that popular! As well as the ancient world, it was enjoyed in medieval Italy where it was made in Ricotta, whereas in Germany it's made with quark! It's even found in Colonial America in the 18th century; Philadelphia has it's own 'Cheesecake House' tavern!

4. Forme of Cury, an English cookbook from 1390, contains a cheesecake recipe

The book actually has TWO cheesecake recipes; one for something called 'Sambocade' and another called 'Tart de bry', both of which are recognisable as close recipes to modern cheesecakes! The book was written by the cooks of King Richard II, so it's fair to say it was cheesecake fit for a king!

5. American cheesecake is different

You may have had 'New York Cheesecake' and noticed it's a bit different from other cheesecakes - that's because the Americans make theirs a little differently! Firstly, American cheesecake is baked in the oven, whereas European cheesecake is cooled in the fridge. It's also a lot more custardy than a European style cheese cake, which is much creamier.

6. American cheesecake was invented by accident

Like many of the best foods in the world, American cheesecake was invented by accident! According to the story, a cheesemaker in the US was trying to recreate a French cheese, and accidentally produced a cream cheese instead! Thank goodness he made that mistake!

7. KitKat Cheesecake is a thing

Cheesecake is great because it's super versatile - you can stick anything you like on top. There's even a KitKat cheese cake! Other odd flavours include peanut butter, cookie, avacado lime and rainbow cheesecake! Would you try them?

8. It's easy to make at home

The good thing about cheesecake is it takes only a few ingredients and is pretty straightforward to make, especially a UK style one, which can be made just by cooling it in the fridge!

9. The most expensive cheesecake cost $5,000!

Cheesecake can be pricey and made for special occasions, but this one really takes the... cheesecake! Made in Rafele Ristorante in Manhattan, New York, the cheesecake contains some very pricey ingredients including: vintage cognac, Italian truffles, Madagascan vanilla and a gold leaf topping! Let's hope it tastes good, because that's a lot of money for one cake!

10. America has its own Cheesecake restaurant

Yes, Americans love cheesecake SO much that they have a whole restaurant dedicated to it - The Cheesecake Factory! The Cheesecake Factory has over 30 different types of cheesecake on sale, and sells about 35 million slices every year! That's a lot of cheesecake! Confusingly, they also sell non-cheesecake food too.

11. The biggest cheesecake ever made was over 4,000kg!

This record breaking cheesecake was made in Russia in 2017 and was made to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Stavropol city, and was almost a metre tall! Hopefully everyone got a piece!

12. The base can be lots of different things

The base of a cheesecake can be made of so many different things that it could almost be a different type of cake each time! In the UK we like using crushed digestive biscuits and butter - in the USA they often use Graham crackers, but sometimes also pastry or even a sponge cake!

13. National Cheesecake Day in on 30th of July

They love cheesecake so much in the USA that there's even a National Cheesecake Day, on July 30th! The best way to celebrate would of course be to make your own cheesecake, eat some cheesecake, and just generally really enjoy thinking about cheesecake!

14. It's not really a cake

This is controversial, but we had to say it at some point - the cheesecake isn't technically a cake. Cakes are typically classified as a more bread-like substance. So what is it? Well, that's up for debate. Some people think it's a torte, others think it's more of a flan or a tart. But most importantly, whatever it's called - it's delicious!

15. You can get garlic cheesecake

If you want your cheesecake a little more...interesting, why not try garlic cheesecake? Savoury cheesecakes are becoming more and more popular, and other types include spinach and cucumber! If you REALLY wanted, you could have a slice of cheesecake for every course of your meal! You might be a bit sick of cheesecake by the end though.