Arguably the most famous of all of the many famous Turkish desserts, there aren’t many people who don’t know the special and much loved sweet treat, baklava.
What Is Baklava?
Baklava is a delicious dessert – if you’ve still got lots of room after eating, that is!
If you want to really appreciate the flavours and textures of baklava, it’s perhaps best enjoyed as a standalone sweet snack.
Layers & Layers
Layer upon layer of phyllo sheets – each single layer hand rolled so thin, it becomes translucent.
It is an art.
Its artisans trained and guided by the usta (master of their trade) until they become proficient in their trade.
Made on large trays, each sheet of phyllo is topped with melted butter and oil before the next layer is carefully laid over the top.
And then we get a ground nut mixture filling before more more layers of that oh-so-delicate phyllo pastry – brushed with the melted butter – are added.
Once the layering process is over, the baklava is ready to go into the oven to bake.
Different Shapes
But not before it’s been sliced up with a very sharp knife in preparation for serving.
Generally, the baklava is cut into rhombus or diamond shapes, triangles or squares and rectangles.
But as a treat, we also love circular baklava – a phyllo pastry ‘cake’ – that’s been cut into large triangular slices. Havuç dilim baklava (carrot-shaped slices).
Pure indulgence!
Once golden brown, it’s removed from the oven. And this is where the sweetness enters the room.
Because hot syrup is then poured over the hot baklava and left to rest for a couple of hours or so to come to room temperature.
Our First Meeting With Baklava
I remember the first time we came on holiday to Fethiye and seeing – and sampling – baklava for the first time.
For this savoury-food-appreciating couple, it was a lot to take in.
Baklava was going to be an acquired taste – and, looking back now, it wasn’t the best example of this famous dish. Not all baklava is the same!
But we got there, eventually.
We’re not going to say it’s a regular on the menu in our house. But, these days, the odd piece after a meal in a local restaurant is a naughty-but-nice treat.
And even nicer if it’s warm and served with a scoop ice cream or kaymak (a thick, Turkish clotted cream).
Don’t mind if we do!
Easy On The Syrup
It’s the syrup topping that’s the key ingredient clincher for us.
Too much syrup and you can end up eating a stodgy, soggy baklava.
But a fresh, Antep pistachio baklava with only a light syrup – so that the nutty, buttery flavour takes precedence and the flaky layers retain a light crunch – perfect!
It’s a kuru baklava (dry baklava) that is our personal preference. Or an özel kare baklava (more oil, less sugar) – not too sweet for our savoury tooth!
Baklava Far & Wide
Not just a Turkish dish, of course.
Its exact origins are hotly debated and are not a discussion for this blog. Food historians have done that bit!
For us, it is one of those special dishes that links and unites rather than divides.
As well as Turkish cuisine, variations of baklava are an important part of Greek cuisine and countries of the Balkans, Caucasus and around the Middle East.
Whilst there are variations between countries, Turkish and Greek baklava have regional differences, too.
And why not? Make use of the ingredients that are available locally.
Hazelnuts grow in the Black Sea regions of Turkey. So you’ll find baklava with a hazelnut filling – fındıklı baklava – there.
In Bursa, chestnuts (kestane) prevail. So kestaneli baklava is famous to the city.
On the Aegean coast, you might find almond (bademli baklava) or walnut (cevizli baklava).
But the most famous Turkish variation has got to be the pistachio baklava of Gaziantep (fıstıklı baklava).
Such an important feature of Turkish cuisine, Gaziantep Baklavası was the first Turkish product to receive ‘Protected Geographical Indication’ by the European Commission.
We’re yet to visit Gaziantep but, naturally, as well as all the other famous dishes of the province – Gaziantep is a UNESCO City of Gastronomy – we’ll be indulging in the pistachio-filled crunch of the crisp, flaky phyllo dough once we get there!
And there are variations which create the sweetness of baklava, too.
From a sweet honey syrup to a simple sugar syrup; from a rose water-infused syrup in Iran to orange blossom water syrup in Syria.
When Is Baklava Eaten?
Especially in tourist resorts, this sweet pastry treat is often to be seen on the dessert menu of restaurants.
Around the country, however, it often makes an appearance at special occasions.
The Baklava Procession
It is often eaten during both the holy month of Ramazan and Ramazan Bayramı, for example.
The Baklava Alayı (Baklava Procession) was started by Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent in the 16th Century.
On the 15th day of Ramadan, each year, the kitchens of Topkapı Palace would roll and bake tray after tray of baklava and this would be ceremoniously presented to the janissaries as a gift.
If Turkish households have visitors, this special sweet phyllo pastry is sometimes served to guests with çay or Turkish coffee.
And if you’re invited to someone’s house for a meal, a gift box of baklava is always a polite offering to take with you.
Most places that specialise in making baklava will have attractive gift boxes that you can choose from.
You can then mix and match between the different shaped baklava or different nuts in the filling and on top of the baklava.
Homemade Baklava
Due to the best baklava being made by the baklava masters out there – and because we don’t have that sweet tooth that makes us crave sweet treats like this – we’re yet to attempt a homemade baklava recipe.
But we will do…one day…