Ah, cheesecake. What’s more New York than cheesecake?
You know, besides the classic, “Hey, I’m walkin’ here!”
New York has much more to offer than begrudged businessmen and expletives. Like here, at 12-40 Clintonville Street in Whitestone at Grandma’s Cheesecake Sandwiches, we have our cheesecake sandwiches, a delicious new derivative of the cheesecake.
But where does the cheesecake come from?
Let’s travel to Greece. I’m talking about ancient, 5th century BC Greece. On the island called Samos, the ancient Greeks made their cheesecakes, called Plakountas, by mushing cheese into a paste, adding honey and wheat flour, and baking it. It was more of a loaf than a cake, and it had no crust (the horror!).
The Island of Samos
In 776 BC, in Olympia, the very first Olympics were held. To fuel their rugged, hunky Olympians, the ancient Grecian spectators made them cheesecake.
Cheesecake was not originally a dessert, but a healthy snack.
What a way to diet, huh?
Then came the Romans.
As they say, all good diets must come to an end.
With the Roman Invasion came the absorption of Grecian culture (among many other cultures). The cheesecake underwent a renaissance. Three new recipes emerged: Labrum, Savillum, and…Placenta. I’m keeping my mouth shut on that one.
Thankfully, Savillum is the recipe that most modern-day cheesecakes are based on.
Savillum
The Romans did us all a favor and added some eggs into their recipe, creating a much cake-ier cake. They also cooked their cakes between hot bricks, as opposed to an open fire or hot coals, which is more similar to our modern-day ovens.
The Roman Empire’s cheesecake spread to just about every corner of Europe – much like the plague. Each region developed their own spin on it, and the French – with their cheese-y expertise – mastered the art of the creamy cheesecake.
Fast-forward about a millenia to the colonization of the Americas. The new-world settlers brought cheesecake with them as a tasty treat. Although, I have to admit, I just can’t imagine a Puritan eating cheesecake.
Okay, okay back to the cheesecake.
We are finally back to the part you all have been waiting for: the New York Style Cheesecake. Long story short, in 1872 a dairy farmer named William A. Lawrence was attempting to recreate the French Neufchatel cheese.
Oops! He accidentally created cream cheese, otherwise known as the glue that keeps NYC from collapsing.
Then came Kraft – yes, as in the boxed macaroni and cheese Kraft – who gave cheese a stable shelf life in 1916.
Then came Reuben – yes, as in the sandwich Reuben – a German guy who made the New York Cheesecake by accident in the early 1930s. That doesn’t sound very Depression-like to me.
So, what’s the difference?
New Yorkers use cream cheese, the Greeks use feta, and the Romans use ricotta – and I think all of us New Yorkers could use a cheesecake sandwich from Grandma’s Cheesecake Sandwiches.
A stack of our delicious cheesecake sandwiches
Phew, now that's a mouthful.
But what is a cheesecake sandwich, you may ask?
It’s the unique, delicious combination of a New York Style Cheesecake and a cookie sandwich.
This light, fluffy dessert was created by our innovative founder, Lisa Cotoggio. Using both her beloved grandmother Raphaella’s recipe and her entrepreneur spirit, Lisa developed 36 incredible flavors that rotate throughout the year.