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Basque Cheesecake

Breads, Flatbreads and Savory Pastries

Basque cheesecake is a crustless cheesecake created in 1988 by Santiago Rivera, owner of the restaurant La Vina in San Sebastián in Spain's Basque Country, and is also known as cheesecake San Sebastián or burnt Basque cheesecake. It is made from cream cheese, sugar, eggs, cream, and flour, and is distinguished by a caramelized, deliberately burnt-looking surface over a creamy, custard-like interior achieved by baking at high temperature. The dessert gained wide international popularity during the 2010s, particularly after being featured by British food writer Nigella Lawson, and had become ubiquitous in the United Kingdom by 2021.

Facts
Origin Period, From (Year)
from 1988 2
Origin Region
Basque Country 1
Origin Region
Spain 1
Classification
Course
Dessert 1
FAQs

Why is the top of a Basque cheesecake so dark?

The milk solids in the cheese caramelize at high temperatures, giving a flavor akin to salted caramel or browned butter.

The dark top is part of the flavor. Writing in Taste, Daniela Galarza says the darkened top adds a mysterious but highly enjoyable flavor akin to salted caramel or browned butter, with an added complexity and alluring tang from the milk solids in the cheese, which caramelize at high temperatures.
Connections

In Cuisine

Basque Cuisine, Cuisines
Source Basque Cheesecake (Wikipedia)

Uses Ingredient

Cream, Ingredients
Source Basque Cheesecake (Wikipedia)
Cream Cheese, Ingredients
Source Basque Cheesecake (Wikipedia)
Flour, Ingredients
Source Basque Cheesecake (Wikipedia)
Sugar, Ingredients
Source Basque Cheesecake (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases

Originated In

Spain

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.

Source Basque Cheesecake (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Basque Cheesecake (Wikidata)
  • P495 (country of origin): Spain
    Spain
  • P31 (instance of): Dessert
    Dessert
  • P495 (country of origin): Basque Country
    Basque Country
View the Source
2. Basque Cheesecake (Wikipedia)
Quote
It was created in 1988 by Santiago Rivera, chef and owner of the restaurant La Viña in San Sebastián in the Basque Country, Spain.
Basque Cheesecake (Wikipedia)
  • Lead section
    Basque cheesecake (Basque: euskal gazta-tarta, Spanish: tarta de queso vasca), is a crustless cheesecake.
  • Uses Ingredient: Sugar, Infobox main_ingredient field: Cream cheese, sugar, eggs, cream, flour
  • Uses Ingredient: Cream, Infobox main_ingredient field: Cream cheese, sugar, eggs, cream, flour
  • Uses Ingredient: Flour, Infobox main_ingredient field: Cream cheese, sugar, eggs, cream, flour
  • Uses Ingredient: Cream Cheese, Infobox main_ingredient field: Cream cheese, sugar, eggs, cream, flour
  • In Cuisine: Basque Cuisine, lead paragraph
    It was created in 1988 by Santiago Rivera, chef and owner of the restaurant La Viña in San Sebastián in the Basque Country, Spain.
View the Source
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