What Makes New York Cheesecake Its Own Thing

New Yorkers will argue over anything. Ask any question and you'll likely get different answers from each person, like the best way to get to Coney Island from Midtown Manhattan, who makes the best bagels or pizza, which of the city's two baseball teams will make it to the World Series, or where to catch a cab during rush hour. It's no surprise, then, that there are a lot of arguments about one of New York's most iconic desserts, the cheesecake. There's a hot debate about what makes New York cheesecake different from other cheesecakes, who invented it, and whether it should have crust or no crust. The only thing they'll agree on: New York loves its cheesecake.

Cheesecake has literally been around for millennia, with evidence suggesting cheesecake existed in Greece as far back as 2000 B.C. and the first recipe for it was published in 230 A.D. When Rome conquered Greece, it took the recipe for cheesecake with it, adding eggs and the occasional pastry crust. The dessert soon spread throughout Europe and eventually came to the United States. It wasn't until the late 19th century that the key ingredient in New York cheesecake – cream cheese — was invented. Created in the late 19th century by a farmer looking to remake the French cheese known as Nuefchatel, the birth of cream cheese led to the debut of the New York-style cheesecake.

Many argue that New York cheesecake is a distinctively Jewish style, having been invented and popularized by Jewish restauranteurs in the 1930s and '40s. Jewish cuisine had always included cheesecake –whether made of ricotta, cottage cheese, sour cream, or farmer's cheese – often serving it during Shavuot, a holiday celebrating the giving of the Torah and the Ten Commandments during the Jewish exodus from Egypt. But, in 1928, Arnold Reuben, creator of the eponymous sandwich and owner of Reuben's restaurant, switched the traditional cheeses for cream cheese, preferring the smoother texture of the resulting cake.

Leo Lindermann, who, like Reuben, was a German-Jewish immigrant, helped popularize cheesecake at his Times Square-area restaurant Lindy's. His version had a cookie-like crust and was flavored with citrus. Another popular cheesecake seller was Junior's in Brooklyn, which put their cheesecake on a thin layer of sponge cake and flavored it with vanilla.

Other than the use of cream cheese, it's hard to get a read on what makes New York cheesecake different from all other types of cheesecake. Some insist a New York cheesecake is dense, rich, and heavy and attribute the texture to the addition of sour cream and heavy cream. Others say a New York cheesecake is denser because it contains more cream cheese, extra eggs, and egg yolks compared to other types. For example, you won't find sour cream in the recipes from Lindy's or Junior's cheesecake. Nor will you find a graham cracker crust or a thick fruit topping, despite some recipes insisting that those two things are what makes it a New York cheesecake.

Not only are these types of arguments familiar to New Yorkers, but they are also familiar to cheesecake lovers and detractors. Some even argue whether or not it's cake. Purists may also have objections about those who have experimented with the funky flavor of blue cheese. With all these arguments, it's no wonder why New York is the city that never sleeps.