Tahitian Vanilla Cheesecake Tart

I came about making this tart in a random sort of way. I went to Bangsan Market the other day to stock up on baking necessities, and I added the block cream cheese to my pile with plans to make some cream cheese crusts. At the checkout counter, the guy asked me if I planned to use it right away because there was only about a week and a half left to the expiration date. So I told him I’d pass on the cream cheese... And he gave it to me for free! (Though I wonder if he would’ve charged me full price if I said I’d take it. That would’ve been ironic…)

So, to beat the expiration date, I decided to make the cheesecake tart immediately. This recipe also called for vanilla-scented crème fraiche, which I made at home with cream and plain yogurt (since buttermilk is pretty much non-existent in Korea, unless I make that too). I read somewhere that crème fraiche doesn’t really have a standard taste because the flavor is really determined by the yogurt (or buttermilk) you use, and as we’ve all experienced, yogurt can taste quite different. I’m currently looking for the perfect yogurt brand for the best tasting crème fraiche. But I think that in general, the Korean brands are quite mild, and the resulting crème lacking in the appropriate tang. Or perhaps the cream is just ultra pasteurized. (Look at me talking about technical stuff! I actually don’t really know what I’m talking about.)

There’s a random story behind the decorations too. The tart didn’t quite turn out as I’d hoped; I over-baked it. I’d reduced the recipe, but I didn’t reduce the baking time, and the top came out with ugly brown spots on it. Uhg:( It is so very disappointing when something doesn’t turn out as it’s supposed to, especially after all the work you’ve put in! So, I scraped off the spots, applied a layer of leftover crème fraiche (good thing I made extra!), and adorned it with flowers and mint leaves. Et voila! Very pretty:)

It did occur to me that perhaps I’m a little over-obsessive about making things pretty. After all, the flowers aren’t edible. But I find that “taste” is a subjective experience determined in large part by expectation, which in turn is tremendously influenced by appearance. Which leads me to conclude that up to half of our gustatory experience is predetermined by our eyes. Food for thought… I hope this “visual principle” is mostly limited to food!

Despite being over-baked, and more dense than creamy, the cheesecake was still quite tasty. Perhaps because of the visually appealing flowers? I’ll never really know… But all in all, it was terrific, considering it all started with nearly-expired, free cream cheese!