By: Lydia Gould  

Today we celebrate a beloved dessert, and there is history in every delicious bite.

National Cheesecake Day is observed every year on July 30. Millions of people all across the country take part in this creamy holiday and indulge in a slice or two. While cheesecake itself is said to be tasty, there is a lot of rich history behind this rich dessert.

While nobody really knows exactly where and when the first cheesecake was created, it is rumored to be created somewhere along the Greek Islands. According to cheesecake.com, the Greeks believed that the cheesecake was an excellent source of energy, and that there’s some proof that may suggest that cheesecake was served to athletes in the first olympic games in 776 B.C.

Eventually the Romans started making this delectable dessert, and they introduced cheesecake to other European countries. The recipe took a lot of different forms over the many years it was being developed, but the main change took place when cheesecake made its way to America.

America was the first to add cream cheese to cheesecake, and it eventually became a staple ingredient for future recipes. New York also became famous for its cheesecake, with creating a plain cheesecake with egg yolks in the cream cheese cake mix.

With its extensive popularity growth, cheesecake has made its way around the world in several different variations. According to 100 cafe street, many countries from around the world have put their own spin on the classic recipe.

The Japanese cheesecake is made with Matcha green tea, and some are flavored with mango and lychee.

The German cheesecake is made from a “quark cheese” which uses sour milk in the cheese.

The French cheesecake uses gelatin as a base for its ingredients.

These variates and many more make cheesecake a world wide dessert that’s loved across the globe.

Central Pennsylvania has also taken part in making their own cheesecake. Bakeries such as the Pennsylvania Bakery in Camp Hill and Desserts etc in Hershey are well known for their own delicious cheesecake.

There have even been world records set involving the creamy dessert. One of the most famous world records was set by the Philadelphia Cream Cheese Company on September 21, 2013.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest cheesecake weighed 3,129.787 kg (6,900 lb) and measured 2.292 m (7 ft 6.25 in) in diameter, and .787 m (2 ft 7 in) tall.

While making the cheesecake is enjoyable for most, the real joy for people comes in actually eating the dessert. Many individuals have even attempted to break a speed-eating cheesecake record.

One record was broken by Emin B. in Snellville, Georgia. According to Record Setter, he ate three pieces of New York cheesecake in one minute and twenty seconds.

No matter where in the world, people love to make and eat cheesecake. So, grab a slice on July 30 to celebrate National Cheesecake Day.