SMART THINKING

Burnt Basque cheesecake is a well-deserved social media star.

From the northern Spanish foodie destination of San Sebastián, the Basque cheesecake is one of the few dishes you are encouraged to burn. You may have seen this ‘burnt cheesecake’ trending on social media of late as foodies come up with their own takes on the Spanish dessert.

Invented a few decades ago by Santiago Rivera, owner of San Sebastián pintxos café La Viña, the Basque cheesecake has quickly become one of the most popular cheesecakes around. Looking rather like a scorched Portuguese tart, the cheesecake isn’t the prettiest of desserts, but it sure is one of the tastiest. Forgoing the traditional biscuit base, the cheesecake has a smooth and creamy interior that is perfectly balanced by the firm and caramelised exterior, resulting in a rich, velvety and toffee-like flavour.