world cultures & travelWikipedia1473 · Istanbul
Baklava's origins are still debated, with roots in ancient Greek honey cakes and Ottoman palace kitchens
Baklava is a pastry of thin layers of dough, nuts and syrup or honey, and its exact origin is still disputed. Ottoman palace kitchens in Istanbul prepared it by 1473-74, but the records don't show how the modern form developed. Some food historians point to the Greek plakous, a flat honey-soaked cake mentioned in the 5th century BC, and to a 2nd-century BC recipe for layered honey pastry. Others trace it to the Arabic lauzinaj, almond paste wrapped in thin pastry, or to Central Asian layered yufka breads.
Thin sheets of dough are stacked with butter or oil and nuts between each layer. The pastry is baked until crisp, then soaked in syrup or honey, which softens the layers slightly while keeping them crunchy.
Baklava shows how a single dessert can connect many cultures across more than two thousand years. Its history crosses Greek, Byzantine, Arab and Ottoman kitchens, and the layered-dough technique spread along trade routes. Today it is a shared dessert across the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East.
Many dishes have multiple claimed origins, as with pizza or ramen, where the modern form emerged from several regional traditions. Layered-dough techniques appear across many cuisines, from Greek phyllo to Indian paratha.
The Ottoman sultan once presented trays of baklava to the Janissaries every 15th of Ramadan in a ceremonial procession.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · text CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Sakaman, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
