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Baklava (or baklawa) is a popular sweet pastry that forms part of the cuisine of a variety of cultures in the Middle East and the Balkans. It has a high sugar and fat content, making it extremely rich.

Contents 1 History 2 Baklava in different cultures 3 Preparation 4 External links

History

It is believed that the Assyrians in the 8th century BCE were the first people in eastern Mediterranean that baked a mixture of chopped nuts and honey with dough, creating thus the predecessor to baklava. According to this theory, Greek seamen and merchants traveling east, soon discovered the delicacy and brought it back to Greece. The Greeks' major contribution to the development of this pastry was the creation of a technique that made it possible to roll dough as thin as a leaf, and thus wrap in multiple soft layers the chopped nuts. In fact, the name "Phyllo" was coined by Greeks, which means "leaf" in the Greek language. Trays of baklava, as we know it today, were being baked in every kitchen of wealthy households in the region, for all kinds of special occasions from the 3rd Century B.C.E. onwards. During the Byzantine era the Armenians integrated cinnamon and cloves for the first time into the texture of baklava. Later the Arabs introduced rosewater and cardamom. The word baklava itself is derived from Arabic بقلاوة baqlāwaḧ, based on an Arabic word for nuts. A number of other cultures have added their own spices since then, creating their own versions of baklava. In the Ottoman period that followed the collapse of Byzantium, baklava became the favorite delight of the Osmanli Sultans. Two principal ingredients, the walnut and honey, were believed to be aphrodisiacs, justifying the extreme price of baklava at the time. To this day in Turkey, one can hear a common expression often used by the poor, and even by the middle class, saying: "I am not rich enough to eat baklava and börek every day." Baklava came to the notice of Monsieur Guillaume, a former pastry chef of Marie Antoinette of France, who was in exile at the Ottoman Turkish Palace. Although there was nothing much to add to baklava's already perfected taste and texture, there were some cosmetic modifications in shaping and in the presentation with a 'French touch'. Guillaume created the "dome" technique of cutting and folding of the baklava squares which was named "Baklava Française" (Frenk Baklavası), and this is the most common shape of baklava found today. The Arabic version of baklava (bak-lowe-y) is made with a sugar syrup and flavored with rose water and creates a lighter pastry, while the Greek version (bak-la-va) is made with honey and results in a heavier and sweeter pastry. The pastry is often confused with "Bacalla", a salty Italian fish, which is traditionally eaten on Christian holidays.

Baklava is a complex, layered dessert made with paper thin sheets of phyllo (filo) dough which have been buttered and layered in a rectangular baking dish, or layered and rolled into a log. Ground and finely chopped walnuts or pistachios are layered between the sheets of pastry, which are baked and soaked in a solution of sugar and either lemon juice or honey and spices with rosewater. In Greek and Turkish cuisine it is typically then cut into triangles, squares or diamonds and served. Also, in Turkish cuisine, the baklava sheet is rolled and cut into circular slices. As with any food, there are regional variations in the recipe with the most common ones being the syrup recipe and whether or not it contains honey.

Baklava in different cultures

• In Afghan cuisine.
• In Albanian cuisine as bakllava.
• In Armenian cuisine as փախլավա (pʼaḫlava).
• In Assyrian cuisine.
• In Azeri cuisine.
• In Bosnian cuisine as baklava.
• In Bulgarian cuisine as баклава (baklava).
• In Georgian cuisine as tapluna.
• In Greek cuisine as μπακλαβά (mpaklavá or baklavá). This is the variety most familiar in the United States.
• In Iraqi cuisine.
• In Israeli cuisine as בַּקְלָוָה or בקלוה (baqlava).
• In Kurdish cuisine.
• In Lebanese cuisine.
• In Levantine cuisine as بقلاوة (baʼlēwa).
• In Macedonian cuisine.
• In Persian cuisine as باقلوا (baqlavā).
• In Romanian cuisine as baclava.
• In Serbian cuisine as баклава, baklava
• In Syrian cuisine.
• In Turkish cuisine as baklava.

Preparation

If layering in a baking dish, layer and butter a dozen phyllo sheets, then top with a mixture of ground nuts and a little sugar (and cinnamon, for variation, if desired). Walnuts or pistachios are used most often sometimes with a combination of almonds and pecans. After the nut mixture has been spread evenly across the phyllo, layer and butter the remaining dozen phyllo sheets. Before baking, cut baklava with a sharp knife into diamonds (traditional in Lebanese cuisine) or squares.

If rolling, butter 5 individual sheets of phyllo, then place nut mixture along 1 side of the phyllo and proceed to roll up like a tight log. Once rolled, cut the log on the diagonal into about 12 to 13 pieces. Do not cut all the way through until after the baklava is baked. For easier handling, the logs can be frozen for 10 to 15 minutes to firm them up.

Whether using the pan or rolled technique, the procedure is the same after the baklava is baked. Pour on the syrup (equal parts sugar and water boiled to a syrup consistency and then mixed with either a small amount of lemon juice or honey, cinnamon and cloves). Stays fresh and freezes well.

External links

• The History of Baklava
• Kosher Baklava recipe chabad.org
• Baklava online
• [1] (photo: Bosnian baklava)
• [2] (photo: Bosnian baklava)
• Dedeoglu Baklava
• Güllüoğlu

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