Basque cheesecake inventor retires

The inventor of the Basque cheesecake, a dessert that has conquered the world, will retire next year, leaving behind a legacy that has reshaped menus globally. Santiago Rivera — the owner of La Viña in his hometown of San Sebastián — is credited with inventing the “burnt” cheesecake in the 1980s as he toyed with a recipe for the classic New York version. But its popularity didn’t spread beyond the northern Spanish city until the domestic unrest that had blighted the Basque region dissipated in the 2010s. When Rivera hangs up his apron, there will be drink and food to send him off, but likely not cheesecake. “I don’t know,” he told The New York Times. “I really like chocolate.”