BAKE Chocolate – Cheese Cake (Matsumoto KiYoshi Edition)

I love cheesecake. It’s real unhealthy. The only reason I’m not fat or on the verge of death is because I am also really picky about what kind, and what quality of cheesecake I allow into the sacred temple that is my body. I am well aware of how damaging to the body cheesecake can be, which is why I only go for what I really enjoy. I don’t like fluffy styled cheesecakes like the Japanese style ones. I much prefer the western styled ones that are baked into a super dense cake. I want to feel full after having a slice – I want that rich, decadent flavour that reminds me of eating an almost solid block of cheese. I’m also very picky about quality. All in all, it seems cheesecake isn’t as common or popular where I am, as I find it difficult to source good quality cheesecake. Again, that explains why I’m able to keep fit, and I’m not rocking a solid, spherical, single ab for a stomach.

I’ve seen BAKE chocolates before, but the ones I see here in the North are usually matcha or brownie flavoured. I never really had any compulsion to purchase or try them. I never understood the concept. Are they supposed to be baked? Are they soft? Are they hard? I just strayed away because the appearance on the package was very much like that of a cookie, but it’s branded as chocolate so……I was and still am, wholly confused by it all. I’d much rather blame it on the confusing marketing than to chalk it up to my own inability to read Japanese or comprehend their pictures.

The back didn’t give me much more insight into this. I don’t know if BAKE means the chocolate was “baked” or if I have to bake it like those sweet potato chocolates or creme brulee chocolates. I guess I’ll have to take my chances and figure it out the old fashioned way. I mean, why else would they come in packs of 10, if not for that buffer for error? What I do know is this is the cheesecake flavour, but is a special edition that is unique to a retailer in Japan known as Matsumoto KiYoshi. My understanding is that they are a large drug and cosmetic retailer that is positioned similar to a convenience store, kind of like Shopper’s Drug Mart for us Canucks, or I guess something like a Walgreen’s or CVS for Yankees.

There is no mistaking that nice aroma of cream cheese. Smell is a big part of the experience, and I’m happy to say it’s a win in terms of the olfactory experience. The pieces look like they do on the packaging,which is a plus for me. I’ve had a not-so-good time with chocolates in the past few months on account of the crazy heat melting my chocolate in transit. Thankfully this one made it through alive.

Picking up a piece of these was a little trippy. Based on the understanding that these chocolates are “baked” (not sure how that even works to be honest), I was expecting it to be a softer, almost brownie like texture. The outside actually seems to be firm. Intriguing.

Upon first bite, I am again tripped up. I was expecting the inside to be a hard texture. The insides are in fact soft, but not soft to the point of being moist or crumbly like an actual Japanese cheesecake. The inside is distinctly chocolate in texture, but also slightly softer so that it yields to the bite very easily. The whole experience is a little confusing to describe, but if I had to try and boil it down to a few words, I’d say its like a dehydrated brownie. Or maybe a dehydrated cheesecake in this case? It’s not dry though, and doesn’t make you thirsty for a drink or anything like that.

The flavour and texture together remind me a lot of the Japanese style cheesecake, which I’m pretty sure is what they were going for. If you flattened a cheesecake loaf and condensed it into a tiny piece of chocolate. While this whole experience is confusing (I’m still trying to put a finger on what it is), there is no doubt that I would get this again. I don’t normally like Japanese style cheesecake, but this has a very unique texture, and delivers on the flavour so I don’t mind it at all.

I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who is a fan of cheesecake. I’d also recommend any of the other varieties of BAKE to anyone looking to try a unique take on chocolate. It’s certainly unlike anything else I’ve had up to this point. Or maybe I have and I didn’t know it. Either way, if you see this on a shelf, grab it and give it a try.