Tomotaro Kuzuno encountered the cheesecake that inspired Japanese cheesecake in Berlin. During a trip there in the 1960s, the Japanese chef encountered a German-style cheesecake and used it as inspiration for a lighter Japanese version.
Japanese cheesecake is notably different from the dense, rich American-style cheesecake often associated with the word “cheesecake.” Its airy, gently wobbling texture comes from separating and whipping egg whites and yolks, much as cooks do for soufflés or chiffon cakes. Cream cheese, butter, sugar and eggs form the basic mixture.
The cake is traditionally baked in a bain-marie, or water bath, which helps moderate the oven’s heat and keeps the delicate batter moist. It is usually less sweet and lighter in texture than many Western cheesecakes. The Berlin connection is sometimes confused with the cake’s later development in Japan, but Berlin was the source of Kuzuno’s inspiration, not the place where Japanese cheesecake itself was created.