The very first cheesecake was served to ancient Greek Olympic athletes

The very first cheesecake was served to ancient Greek Olympic athletes. Credit: Public Domain

Cheesecake is one of the most recognizable and popular desserts. You might assume its origins date back to France or possibly Italy, as the fluffy cream cheesecake has become a staple in traditional bakeries.

But cheesecake has a very different origin: ancient Greece. The original cheesecake, researchers say, originated on the Greek island of Samos, where anthropologists unearthed cheese molds for the dessert dating back to 2000 B.C.

There is evidence that people served cheesecake to athletes during the first Olympic Games in 776 BC, as it was believed that the treat was a good source of fuel. Cheesecake was also often used as a wedding cake.

The recipe for cheesecake in ancient Greek is not far removed from modern versions of the dessert. The Greeks of that time made their cakes by combining flour, wheat, honey, and cheese and baking them. The earliest recipe for cheesecake is attributed to Athenaeus in 230 AD, although cheesecake is mentioned long before this recipe was written.

Athenaeus said: “Take cheese and pound it until it is smooth and doughy; put the cheese in a copper sieve; add honey and wheat flour. Heat it in one mass, let it cool and serve.”

The dish first left Greece with the ancient Romans. After conquering Greece, they took the cake and changed the traditional recipe, using grated cheese and eggs and choosing to serve it warm. The Romans called this modified version of cheesecake “libuma” and kept it as a delicacy for celebrations.

This recipe became popular in Northern and Eastern Europe, with different regions putting their own spin on the cake using locally sourced ingredients. Cheesecake became so widespread that eventually every country in Europe had its own variation.

The first cookbook was published in 1545. Cheesecake was recorded as a sweet dessert dish. About three hundred years later, cream cheese was invented in New York and became the most common cheese used in cheesecakes, leading to the “New York Cheesecake.”

Cheese and Dessert in Ancient Greece

Cheese making is an ancient tradition in the Mediterranean. The production of cheese from goat or sheep milk dates back to the 8th century BC in Greece.

This history is accompanied by ancient myths about cheese production, including one in which Apollo’s son, Aristaios, raised by nymphs, teaches humanity the art of preparing milk for cheese production.

Homer’s book mentions a cheese that resembles feta. Odyssey. In the ancient work, the Cyclops Polyphemus is described as a shepherd living in a cave filled with cheese and milk from his flock.

But the ancient Greeks, being the clever inventors that they were, combined their love of cheese with other sweet ingredients to create cheesecake. But cheesecake is just one of many other ancient desserts that the Greeks enjoyed: Greeks have had a love affair with ice cream since at least a hundred years before Alexander the Great.

The ancient Greeks were attracted to ‘ice’ as early as the fifth century BC. At that time, the ice cream was actually honey and fruit-flavored snow. It was wildly popular among the Greeks in the central market of Athens and quickly spread throughout the Aegean world.

Alexander the Great, born in 356 BC, is said to have had his fair share of ice cream growing up as the son of the king of Macedonia, Philip II. According to legends that have survived to this day, his favorite ice cream was flavored with honey and nectar.

Even Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, who was born in 460 BC, spoke highly of this delicacy and encouraged his patients to eat ice cream “because it revives the vital juices and increases well-being.”

Try this Vanilla Cheesecake Ice Cream Pops recipe for a unique hybrid dessert that combines Greek yogurt with cream cheese and reconnect with the athletes, brides, grooms, and dessert lovers of ancient Greece!

Vanilla Cheesecake Ice Cream

Ingredients:

8 ounces light cream cheese

1/2 cup plain or vanilla Greek yogurt

1/2 cup 2% milk (or other low-fat milk)

2/3 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped

Instructions:

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor. Note: To scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean, cut vertically through one layer with a paring knife, then scrape the back of the knife down the inside of the bean to remove the seeds. Add the seeds to the mixture and discard the rest of the bean. Also: Adding some fresh cardamom adds a super vanilla and fragrant flavor to the bars. You can add a tiny pinch of ground cardamom, but remember, a little goes a long way!

2. Pulse until the ingredients are completely combined. Divide the mixture between eight popsicle molds and add sticks, just as you would when making popsicles. Freeze for three to four hours, until firm.

3. Remove from the mold and enjoy!