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Baklava (, or ) is a layered pastry dessert made of filo pastry, filled with chopped nuts, and sweetened with either syrup or honey.
There are several theories for the origin of this pastry, but in modern times, it is a common dessert among cuisines of countries in West Asia, Southeast Europe, Central Asia, and North Africa. It is also enjoyed in South Asia, where, although not a traditional sweet, it has become popular over the years.
The historian Paul D. Buell argues that the word baklava may come from the Mongolian root baγla- 'to tie, wrap up, pile up' composed with the Turkic languages verbal ending -v;Paul D. Buell, "Mongol Empire and Turkicization: The Evidence of Food and Foodways", p. 200 ff, in Amitai-Preiss, 1999. baγla- itself in Mongolian is a Turkic loanword. The lexicographer Sevan Nişanyan considers its oldest known forms (pre-1500) to be baklağı and baklağu, and labels it as being of Proto-Turkic origin.Nişanyan, Sevan (2009) (in Turkish). Sözlerin Soyağacı - Çağdaş Türkçenin Etimolojik Sözlüğü Words'. İstanbul. http://nisanyansozluk.com/?k=baklava Another form of the word is also recorded in Persian, باقلبا ( bāqlabā). Though the suffix -vā might suggest a Persian origin,Batmanglij, Najmieh, A Taste of Persia: An Introduction to Persian Cooking, I.B.Tauris, 2007, , 9781845114374; page 156.Marks, Gil, Encyclopedia of Jewish Food, John Wiley and Sons, 2010, , ; page 38. the baqla- part does not appear to be Persian Language and remains of unknown origin."a derivation from balg, a common dialect form of barg "leaf", or from Ar. baql "herb" is unlikely", W. Eilers, Encyclopædia Iranica, s.v. 'bāqlavā' The linguist Tuncer Gülensoy states that the origin of baklava is bakl-ı (feed) in proto-Turkish and suffixes -la-ğı are added. The word changes as bakılağı > bakılavı > baklava. The Arabic name بقلاوة baqlāwa originates from Turkish.Akın and Lambraki, Turkish and Greek Cuisine / Türk ve Yunan Mutfağı p. 248-249,
There are also some similarities between baklava and the Ancient Greek desserts gastris (γάστρις), γάστρις , Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek–English Lexicon, on Perseus kopte sesamis (κοπτὴ σησαμίς), and kopton (κοπτόν) found in book XIV of the Deipnosophistae. κοπτός , Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek–English Lexicon, on PerseusDeipnosophists 14:647, discussed by Charles Perry, "The Taste for Layered Bread among the Nomadic Turks and the Central Asian Origins of Baklava", in A Taste of Thyme: Culinary Cultures of the Middle East (ed. Sami Zubaida, Richard Tapper), 1994. . p. 88. However, the recipe there is for a filling of nuts and honey, with a top and bottom layer of honey and ground sesame similar to modern sesame candy]] or halva, and no dough, certainly not a flaky dough.Charles Perry, "The Taste for Layered Bread among the Nomadic Turks and the Central Asian Origins of Baklava", in A Taste of Thyme: Culinary Cultures of the Middle East (ed. Sami Zubaida, Richard Tapper), 1994. .
Another recipe for a similar dessert is güllaç, a dessert found in Turkish cuisine and considered by some as the origin of baklava. It consists of layers of filo dough that are put one by one in warmed up milk with sugar. It is served with walnut and fresh pomegranate and generally eaten during Ramadan. The first known documentation of güllaç is attested in Yinshan Zhengyao, a food and health manual that documents foods of the Mongol Empire, written in 1330 by Hu Sihui, an ethnic Mongol court dietitian of China's Yuan dynasty.Paul D. Buell, "Mongol Empire and Turkicization: The Evidence of Food and Foodways", p. 200 ff, in Amitai-Preiss, 1999.
Although the history of baklava is not well documented, an archaic version of baklava is said to have been prepared in the Byzantine Empire,Speros Vryonis The Decline of Medieval Hellenism in Asia Minor, 1971, p. 482 while its Turkish people version was probably developed in the imperial kitchens of the Topkapı Palace in Constantinople (modern Istanbul). The Sultan presented trays of baklava to the Janissaries every 15th of the month of Ramadan in a ceremonial procession called the Baklava Alayı.
The word "placenta" originally comes from the Greek language plakous (πλακοῦς), which means something "flat and broad". placenta , Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary, on Perseus An early Greek language mention of plakous as a dessert (or second table delicacy) comes from the poems of Archestratos. He describes plakous as served with nuts or dried fruits and commends the honey-drenched Athenian version of plakous. Antiphanes, a contemporary of Archestratus, provided an ornate description of plakous:
In the Byzantine Empire, the traditional placenta cake (known as "koptoplakous", κοπτοπλακοῦς), a dish similar to baklava, was consumed. The earliest known detailed recipe for placenta, from the 2nd century BC, is a honey-covered baked layered-dough dessert which food historian Patrick Faas identifies as the origin of baklava.
Historian Andrew Dalby speculates as to why Cato's section on bread and cakes, which he describes as "recipes in a Greek tradition", are included in De Agricultura: "Possibly Cato included them so that the owner and guests might be entertained when visiting the farm; possibly so that proper offerings might be made to the gods; more likely, I believe, so that profitable sales might be made at a neighbouring market."
Cato's original recipe for placenta follows:
According to a number of scholars, koptoplakous (κοπτοπλακοῦς) was a precursor to the modern baklava.; . Historian Speros Vryonis describes koptoplakous as a "Byzantine favorite" and "the same as the Turkish baklava",Speros Vryonis The Decline of Medieval Hellenism in Asia Minor, 1971, p. 482 as do other writers. The name () is used today on the island of Lesbos for thin layered pastry leaves with crushed nuts, baked, and covered in syrup.
There are similar recipes for lauzinaj in the 13th-century Kitab al-Tabikh by Muhammad bin Hasan al-Baghdadi. Written in 1226 in today's Iraq, the cookbook was based on an earlier collection of 9th century Persian cuisine-inspired recipes. According to Gil Marks, Middle Eastern pastry makers later developed the process of layering the ingredients.
Before baking, the dough is cut into regular pieces, often parallelograms (lozenge-shaped), triangles, diamonds or rectangles. After baking, a syrup, which may include honey, rosewater, or orange flower water, is poured over the cooked baklava and allowed to soak.
Baklava is usually served at room temperature, and is often garnished with nuts that have been ground up.
Like other forms of baklava, the layered pastry is cut into diamond-shaped pieces and has one almond placed on top of each piece before being baked. It is then soaked in a syrup of honey, sugar, and lemon juice.
Armenian baklava has some variations on how many phyllo layers are supposed to be used. One variation uses 40 sheets of dough to align with the 40 days of Lent Jesus spent in the desert where he fasted. Another variation is similar to the Greek style of baklava, which is supposed to be made with 33 dough layers, referring to the years of Jesus's life.
The city of Gavar makes Its own version of baklava. It is made with 25 dough layers, has a filling of cleaned and dried chopped walnuts, sugar and a syrup that is poured over the finished baklava consisting of honey and Edible flower. This type of baklava used to be prepared in the then-Armenian city of Bayazet, but the people living there immigrated to Gavar and surrounding regions in 1830.
The tradition of pakhlava preparation in Kyavar (Gavar) is included in the intangible cultural heritage list of Armenia.
In Bosnian cuisine, ružice is the name of the regional variant of baklava.
Baklava also exists in Romanian cuisine, being known as baclava in Romanian. It is one of the most preferred desserts among Romanians together with kanafeh (cataif) and sarailia. In Romania, some Turkish pastry shops that sell baklava have notable popularity. They are common in the south and southeast of the country, but some also exist in its east.
On the island of Lesbos in Greece a type of baklava is still known as Placenta cake (), which is the name of an Ancient Greek pastry that is often seen as the predecessor of baklava. The latter is a baked dessert with very thinly made pastry layers and chopped nuts. The base for this modern placenta is made with leaves of Filo, and nuts stacked upon each other. After baking, it is soaked in simple syrup and sprinkled with cinnamon.
Şöbiyet is a variation that includes kaymak as the filling, in addition to the traditional nuts. The city of Gaziantep in south-central Turkey is famous for its baklava made from locally grown pistachios, often served with kaymak cream. The dessert was introduced to Gaziantep in 1871 by Çelebi Güllü, who had learned the recipe from a chef in Damascus. In 2008, the Turkish patent office registered a geographical indication for Antep Baklava, and in 2013, Antep Baklavası or Gaziantep Baklavası was registered as a Protected Geographical Indication by the European Commission. Gaziantep baklava is the first Turkish product to receive a protected designation from the European Commission.
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Preparation
Baklava is normally prepared in large pans. Many layers of filo dough, separated with melted butter and vegetable oil, are laid in the pan. A layer of chopped nuts—typically or , but and are also sometimes used—is placed on top, then more layers of filo. Most recipes have multiple layers of filo and nuts, though some have only top and bottom pastry.
Regional variations
Algeria
Algerian baklawa is called Baklawa (Arabic: بقلاوة, Tifinagh: ⴱⴰⴽⵍⴰⴹⴰ). In most Algerian regions, Baklava is the centerpiece of any sweets table. This type of Baklava originates in the Algeria city of Constantine. The Algerian Baklava is distinct in that Filo is not used. Instead, they use another type of thin dough called malsouka or warqa and instead of walnuts or pistachios they use .
Syria
In Syrian cuisine, baklava (Arabic: البقلاوة, Syriac language: ܒܩܠܘܐ) or warbat (), is a dessert mostly served on special occasions like Eid al-Fitr, or Syrian Christmas. Syrian baklava is made of 24 layers of buttered phyllo dough, a filling of either chopped pistachios or chopped walnuts and a syrup consisting of sugar, orange blossom water, and lemon juice. Syrian baklava comes in many shapes, but the diamond shape is the most common one. Syrian warbat consists of layers of phyllo dough filled with a semolina based custard, though it is sometimes also filled with pistachios, walnuts, almonds, or sweet cheese. The dessert is topped with a sweet syrup made from sugar, water, and lemon juice brought to a boil and then left to cool and thicken. Warbat A Syrian baklava recipe was introduced to the Turkish city of Gaziantep in 1871 by Çelebi Güllü, who had learned the recipe from a chef in the city of Damascus which transformed into the Gaziantep baklava we know today. The butter used in Syrian baklava is a type of dairy-based clarified butter or ghee called smen.
Armenia
Armenian baklava, known in Armenian as pakhlava () is made of layers of Filo, a filling of cinnamon-spiced chopped walnuts, and a syrup made from , cinnamon, lemon juice, sugar and water. (2026). 9781497387065, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN 9781497387065 It is diamond-shaped and often has either one hazelnut, almond, or half a walnut placed on each piece. It is often served at special occasions like Armenian Christmas or Easter. The flower of paradise and other Armenian tales by Bonnie C. Marshall, Virginia A. Tashjian, Libraries Unlimited, 2007, p. 179, (2006). 9781400077762, Knopf Doubleday Publishing. ISBN 9781400077762
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijani baklava () is made mostly for special occasions (like Nowruz). Pastry, cardamom, and saffron are used for the preparation. Nuts (mostly , almonds or walnuts) and sugar are used as the filling, and syrup is used as a sweetener. Ethnic groups native to different regions (like Lezgins and Tat people) have contributed to some regional variations. (2010). 9786130609948, VDM. ISBN 9786130609948 Tenbel pakhlava is filled with almonds or walnuts and consists of 8-10 layers. Its top layer is coated with yolk. Half a walnut is placed on each diamond-shaped piece. Ganja pakhlava has a filling of almond, sugar and cardamom. 18 layers of dough are used. Gulkand are added to the dough. Guba pakhlava has a top layer that is coated with saffron. It uses 50 rishta layers. Sheki pakhlava, or Sheki Halva, is made from rishta (dough made from rice flour), filling (hazelnut, cardamom) and syrup.
Balkans
Albanians usually prepare the bakllava for certain religious Muslim, Catholic or Orthodox holidays, and they popularly prepare it for the winter holiday season and the New Year.
(2026). 9788680194233, Association of Economists and Managers of the Balkans. ISBN 9788680194233 In Bulgaria, baklava is very popular during the winter holiday season, when people have it for dessert after dinner.
Greece
In Greek cuisine, are more common than pistachios, and the dessert is flavored with cinnamon. Greek baklava () comes in many regional guises, with different names such as samousades, zournadakia, and masourakia. Generally speaking, in southern Greece baklava is mostly made with chopped almonds and in the Northern Greece with walnuts. Some recipes use hazelnuts, sesame or raisins. (1982). 9780960666812, Neiman Marcus. ISBN 9780960666812 The syrup is made of sugar, honey, water, cinnamon and orange or lemon zest and juice. Greek baklava is supposed to be made with 33 Filo layers, referring to the years of Jesus's life.
Iran
Iranian baklava () is less crisp and uses less syrup than other baklava variations. The cities of Yazd, Tabriz, Qazvin, Kashan and the Gilan province are famous for their baklava variations, which are widely distributed in Iran.N. Ramazani, " Bāqlavā", Encyclopaedia Iranica, Volume 3, Issues 5–8, page 729. Iranian baklava uses a combination of chopped almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts and pistachios spiced with saffron, cardamom or jasmine. For the syrup, rose water, lemon juice, sugar, honey, and water are used.Food and Booze: A Tin House Literary Feast, Michelle Wildgen, Nicole J. Georges, Tin House Books, 2007, , ; page 200. Iranian baklava may be cut into diamonds or squares. When it is finished it is often garnished with chopped pistachios, Gulkand, jasmine or Coconut depending on the region.
Turkey
In Turkish cuisine, baklava is traditionally filled with pistachios, walnuts or almonds (in some parts of the Aegean Region). In the Black Sea Region hazelnuts are commonly used as a filling for baklava. are also used as a filling for the Turkish dessert Sütlü Nuriye, a lighter version of the dessert which substitutes milk for the simple syrup used in traditional baklava recipes. Midye Baklava is a mussel-shaped baklava filled with nuts. Pistachio sarma baklava is a green rolled baklava with ground pistachio butter filling.
Uzbek and Tatar
Uzbek cuisine has pakhlava, puskal or yupka or in Tatar people yoka, which are sweet and salty savories (börekler) prepared with 10–12 layers of dough. In Crimean Tatar cuisine, the pakhlava is their variant of baklava.
Other
There are many variants of Baklava in Maghrebi cuisine that are eaten to this day. Owing to its ancient origins, Assyrian people today continue to enjoy baklava and eat it as part of their larger cuisine.
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See also
Notes
(1999). 9789004119468, Brill. ISBN 9789004119468
Claudia Roden (1986). 014046588X, Penguin. 014046588X
Categories: Albanian Cuisine, Algerian Cuisine, Arab Cuisine, Armenian Desserts, Assyrian Cuisine, Azerbaijani Cuisine, Balkan Cuisine, Cypriot Cuisine, Egyptian Cuisine, Georgian Cuisine, Greek Desserts, Honey Dishes, Iranian Cuisine, Kosovan Cuisine, Kurdish Cuisine, Macedonian Cuisine, Middle Eastern Cuisine, Nut Desserts, Ottoman Cuisine, Serbian Cuisine, Tunisian Cuisine, Turkish Desserts, Uzbekistani Cuisine, Yemeni Cuisine
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