00:00The Germans love cheesecake, especially their own kind.
00:04But American cheesecake has many fans here as well.
00:07So, what exactly is the difference?
00:10And which cheesecake tastes better?
00:12We'll put this to the test later.
00:15But first, let's find out how a typical German cheesecake is baked.
00:20This pastry shop near Berlin offers every possible variety.
00:25But the basic recipe is always the same.
00:27Let's start with the base.
00:29The German cheesecake has a classic shortcrust pastry base made from white flour, butter and sugar.
00:34It's pre-baked for 10 minutes beforehand.
00:37Then you make the filling using milk, eggs and cream, which are beaten until fluffy.
00:43Then sugar and starch are added.
00:45And finally, the most important ingredient, quark.
00:49Unfortunately, it's almost impossible to find outside Germany.
00:52But what exactly is quark?
00:57Quark is produced through lactic acid fermentation of milk.
01:01It's essentially a fresh cheese, and we use it in our cheesecake.
01:07In contrast, American cheesecake uses cream cheese.
01:12Quark contains only 3 to 10 percent fat, while cream cheese contains 35 to 40 percent fat.
01:22Then the filling is poured directly onto the pre-baked base.
01:26After 90 minutes in the oven, it's almost ready.
01:29Before you can cut the cake, it needs to cool for 3 to 4 hours.
01:34You just have to be patient with cheesecake.
01:37It can't be done quickly.
01:38You have to be very patient when baking cheesecake.
01:42This is what a perfect German cheesecake looks like.
01:49American cheesecake is considered a descendant of the German one.
01:54The creation of the New York version is attributed to a German immigrant,
01:58who's said to have invented it in the 1920s.
02:01But without quark.
02:05In this Berlin café, they follow an original American recipe.
02:09The first departure from the German version is the base.
02:13It's a mixture of sugar, a secret spice blend, melted butter, and preferably graham crackers.
02:18But here, they use zwieback.
02:21Zwieback is basically like a double-baked bread.
02:26It's made so dry so that it lasts longer.
02:30And for us, that was like the closest version to graham crackers,
02:35that it's not so easy to get here in Europe and Germany.
02:39The cookie crust is pressed down firmly and pre-baked briefly,
02:43just like the German shortcrust pastry.
02:47And now time for the most important part, the filling.
02:52American cheesecake is made with cream cheese, not quark.
02:55So this cream cheese that we're using is really high in fat,
02:59and it's going to make for a really thick butter.
03:02Mixed with sugar and vanilla, the filling is spread onto the pre-baked base,
03:06just like with German cheesecake.
03:08Then it goes back into the oven for a second time.
03:12After baking, a topping made from sour cream, salt, and sugar is added.
03:18After a brief third round in the oven and a night in the refrigerator,
03:22the American cheesecake is ready.
03:25Two countries, two cheesecakes.
03:28But which tastes better?
03:32I like the German cheesecake better because it's sweeter.
03:35And the American one was more sour, more acidic.
03:42I didn't know there was a difference between German and American cheesecake.
03:46Honestly, I'd have to say the American one.
03:47I think it's just a little, it's a little less dry.
03:51For that one?
03:52I did too.
03:54Yes.
03:55I prefer the American cheesecake.
03:57I like that one more for the taste, but that more for the texture.
04:01Me too, actually.
04:02Yeah.
04:03We like the German one.
04:04Yeah.
04:06I like it.
04:07Because I think it's not enough to taste.
04:09Oh, he likes both because he says life is so full of different flavours,
04:13you should like both.
04:14Germany is my all-time favourite in terms of cheesecake.
04:18Sorry, US, you can make better the hot dogs and the hamburgers,
04:22but Germany wins in the cheesecake contest.
04:26In our test, the German cheesecake narrowly beat the American one.
04:31What do you think?
04:32Do you prefer your cheesecake with quark or cream cheese?
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