The classic dessert, cheese pie or to most people, cheesecake. Known for its sweet creamy nature, is one of the few desserts that contain cheese. You cannot go anywhere in the UK without the option of a cheesecake on the menu – restaurants love it for its adaptable nature, whether it’s frozen, chilled, or ambient it will always keep its form.

The origins of cheesecake started as far back as the ancient Greeks who pounded cheese into a thick paste, added a little bit of honey for sweetness and laid it onto a crust of wheat before baking it – a little different from the modern technique but the groundwork is same. Over the years cheesecakes have varied, and different nations taking their own unique twist on the dessert. In South Africa, they stick to a non-baked cheesecake using cream, cream cheese and gelatine – a complete contrast to Japan who only bake their cheesecakes using a combination of cream cheese, butter, sugar and eggs. In Russia, they opt to switch the cream cheese for cottage cheese – a sourer variation that is known for its chunky nature and naturally containing less fat. Whereas in

the Philippines they decided to remove the cheese aspect and replace it with a combination of purple ube, milk, sugar, and butter. However, the most famous of them all is the New York cheesecake, created from the American invention of cream cheese. New York was the first to mass-produce soft cheese, marketing it to create a richer, more indulgent product.

Cheesecake has never stood still, with innovation still happening to this day. From cheesecake vending machines popping up in Asia to cheesecake popsicles being dipped into chocolate in and around London as well as America, the market for the delicious product is still growing. A huge growth in the hybrid market is represented in Orchard’s Collection, Krispy Crème and Berry Doughnuts, all doing their own adaptation of a doughnut/ cheesecake twist using additional flavours such as pumpkin pie and blueberry to create new and attractive flavourings. Vegan options are appearing using coconut, tofu or cashews as a replacement for dairy, gluten free options use almonds or seeds to replace the flour – these are now readily available in most supermarkets to ensure these delightful desserts remain stable no matter the dietary requirements.