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Course | Dessert |
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Place of origin | Spain |
Region or state | Basque Country |
Created by | Santiago Rivera |
Invented | 1988 |
Main ingredients | Cream cheese, sugar, eggs, cream, flour |
Basque cheesecake, also known as cheesecake San Sebastian or burnt Basque cheesecake (Basque: euskal gazta-tarta, Spanish: tarta de queso vasca), is a crustless cheesecake originating from the Basque Country, Spain. It has a caramelized, nearly burnt exterior and creamy, custard-like interior, achieved by baking at high temperatures.
Basque cheesecake was created in 1988 by Santiago Rivera at his pintxo bar La Viña in San Sebastián, a coastal city in the Basque Country, Spain. [1] [2] [3] It achieved popularity online in the 2010s, helped by a recipe published by the British food writer Nigella Lawson. [3] In 2021, Basque cheesecake was widely shared on Instagram and became "ubiquitous" in the UK. [2] That year, The New York Times listed it as a "flavor of the year". [4]
Basque cheesecake has a caramelized, nearly burnt exterior and creamy, custard-like interior, achieved by baking at high temperatures. [2] [3] [5] The flavor is subtly sweet with notes of caramel and hints of bitterness from the browned top. [3] Chefs have added ingredients such as vanilla, citrus zest, or liquorice sauce. [2] [3]