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Varieties of cheesecake in Japan
Heavenly fluffy cheesecake to melt your heart and in your mouth
TREHA® for foam stability in a soufflé cheesecake meringue
What's new? Japan's cheesecake trends and ideas
In this blog, we touch on diverse topics about Japanese food cultures, practices together with the culinary secret, TREHA®, and its important role in the Japanese food industry. We hope our blog helps you obtain in-depth knowledge of the secrets and science behind Japanese cuisine, shared from our kitchen, to yours.
Varieties of cheesecake in Japan
There are several types of cheesecakes available in Japan. For example, some popular ones include...
Baked cheesecake, the most common and familiar cheesecake found in Japan and commonly baked at home. (Click here for a Baked White Chocolate Cheesecake recipe using TREHA®) It is similar to New York style cheesecake as the ingredients are almost identical. However, in Japan, New York cheesecake is richer and creamier as it normally contains more cream cheese and is baked in a hot water bath.
Rare cheesecake is a Japanese term for no-bake cheesecake, which usually uses gelatin to firm up the filling. It also uses yogurt instead of sour cream or condensed milk, which gives it a light and refreshing taste, pairing perfectly with the tartness of fresh fruit or fruit sauce. (Click here for a No-bake cheesecake recipe using TREHA®)
Basque burnt cheesecake, also known as Basque cheesecake originated in the Basque region of Spain. It has a crusty exterior and creamy texture inside, achieving a texture in between baked and no-bake cheesecake. Despite its heavily torched appearance, the bittersweet charred top pairs perfectly with the creaminess of the cheesecake. It has been one of the trendiest cheesecakes and has accelerated recent cheesecake boom in Japan.
Drinkable cheesecake was a unique trend few years ago! It is a cheese-flavored sweet beverage and some are thick like smoothies or contain oreo or biscuit crumbs to taste more like cheesecake. This grab-and-go style is well received by our busy and modern lives, enabling us to enjoy a drinkable cheesecake while taking a break from work or shopping.
Heavenly fluffy cheesecake to melt your heart and in your mouth!
Have you tried a cheesecake that is as fluffy as cotton? Soufflé cheesecake was originally developed in Japan around late 1960's and nowadays widely known as Japanese cheesecake, or Japanese cotton cheesecake outside of Japan. Soufflé means inflated in French. It refers to baked sweets and savory dishes that add a variety of ingredients to a meringue. It is said to have originated in the 17th century, when a French confectioner discovered a method of mixing egg whites and sugar and baking them to make them rise like bread. The cotton-like fluffy texture of soufflé cheesecake is achieved by using thick and glossy egg whites. This gives the cake a wobbly and melt-in-your-mouth texture when it’s freshly baked.
What is the best way to eat soufflé cheesecake? In Japan, soufflé cheesecake can be eaten in many different ways, with people having a variety of preferences for how to prepare and enjoy this cheesecake. When it’s freshly baked, it has a wobbly and super fluffy texture that is completely different from chilled cheesecake. There is a famous Japanese soufflé cheesecake shop in Osaka, where you can get freshly baked ones. Even when you buy chilled cheesecake from that shop, they recommend you reheat it in the microwave. With the COVID-19 pandemic, stay-at-home orders have been increasing and with that, more and more frozen products are being ordered for delivery online. Soufflé cheesecakes can be frozen and are popular for ordering for delivery. Some people like to thaw it completely whereas others enjoy eating it from a frozen or partially frozen state, which mimics cheesecake ice cream. There are so many ways you can enjoy and experiment eating soufflé cheesecake.
TREHA® for foam stability in a soufflé cheesecake meringue
A key component in a well-executed soufflé cheesecake is the meringue. TREHA® stabilizes the air bubbles in the meringue, allowing the height and volume of the freshly baked cheesecake to be maintained and the surface of the cake to brown evenly. Want to try the TREHA® difference? Here is a recipe created by Chef Mochizuki of GPS Club (Imperial Hotel Tokyo). This recipe was introduced during the TREHA® Culinary Discovery Workshop held at the Culinary Institute of America at Copia in Napa, California in 2019. The cheesecake presented at the workshop was baked and frozen the previous day, then thawed at room temperature before being served. Appreciated for TREHA®'s other amazing benefit of freeze-thaw stability, TREHA® maintained the quality and characteristics of freshly baked cheesecake and fascinated participating chefs! (Click here for the blog featuring this incredible workshop!)
What's new? Japan's cheesecake trends and ideas!
Soufflé Cheesecake Pudding
This is an amazing mash-up of Japan's two most beloved desserts, soufflé cheesecake x pudding! This innovational product features pudding topped with a miniature fluffy soufflé cheesecake. The flavors of the pudding are often a classic custard, chocolate, coffee, or even squash pudding. It is widely available at cheesecake shops, convenience stores and the supermarket.
Cheese Zuccotto
This is a cute dome shaped soufflé cheesecake that we call cheese zuccotto. Zuccotto is a traditional Italian frozen dessert cake made with sponge cake and topped with whipped cream and ice cream shaped in the form of a dome. Cheese zuccotto is named after Italian zuccotto, which takes soufflé cheesecake batter and bakes it in a dome mold - the appearance is attractive and very photogenic.
Guilt-Free Cheesecake
Soufflé cheesecake is often launched as a guilt free dessert as it is relatively low-carb in comparison with other confectioneries. The main ingredients of soufflé cheesecake, which are egg whites and cheese, are low in net carbohydrates. Dietary fiber and erythritol are often used to substitute sugar, and some products contain protein powder and cottage cheese, which are high in protein, achieving a guilt-free and healthy cheesecake for the evolving health-conscious consumer demand.
Exotic Cheesecake
Cheesecake using blue cheese, which is a peculiar cheese for sweet cakes, is getting more popular not only amongst cheesecake lovers, but those who do not have a sweet tooth. Apart from blue cheese, there are many kinds of cheese used to create flavorful and exotic cheesecakes such as camembert, gorgonzola, and ricotta cheese, to name a few. These cheesecakes pair well with fruity wines and are often served at restaurants and bars.
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