Byzantine Honey Ricotta Cheesecake (Plakounta Tyroenta)
This ancient cheesecake descends from Roman recipes like libum and savillum and continued through Byzantine household cooking as a simple honey sweetened cheese pie. It uses only a few ingredients that were common across the empire. Fresh cheese provides richness, honey adds gentle sweetness, and semolina helps it set into a soft custard like texture. The result is a rustic dessert that tastes clean and ancient, with floral sweetness and a silky interior. It is one of the easiest historical recipes to recreate and captures the quiet elegance of everyday Byzantine cooking.
Ingredients
- 2 cupsricotta cheese (or mizithra, anthotyro, or farmer’s cheese)
- 3 largeeggs
- ½ cuphoney (plus more for drizzling)
- 2 tablespoonssemolina or wheat flour
- salt
- optional historical additions
- 1 teaspoonrosewater or 1 teaspoon grape must syrup
- a little cinnamon
- poppy and sesame seeds (for topping)
Directions
- 1
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- 2
In a mixing bowl, whisk the ricotta until smooth.
- 3
Add the eggs, honey, semolina, and salt. Stir until fully combined.
- 4
If using, add rosewater, grape must syrup, or cinnamon. Mix well.
- 5
Pour the mixture into a greased baking dish.
- 6
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the edges are set and lightly golden and the center has a gentle custard like jiggle.
- 7
Cool for at least 15 minutes to help the cheesecake firm.
- 8
Drizzle with extra honey and toppings before serving.