Baklava: The Dessert that has Greeks and Turks Fighting over Its Origin

Greeks' major contribution to the development of this pastry is the creation of a dough technique that made it possible to roll it as thin as a leaf, compared to the rough, bread-like texture of the Assyrian dough.

In fact, the name “Phyllo” was coined by Greeks, which means “leaf” in the Greek language.

Some historians still claim that the baklava recipe has its roots in ancient Greece, where they made the ‘gastrin’, a sweet very similar to the current baklava.

Well it's fucking ambrosia. I can see why they're fighting over it.

I don't think there are any street fights over the origins of Baklava but it is an international treasure so I understand how that could happen.

It's Greek!

Some years ago I had a friend whose mother was Phanariot - a Greek born in Constantinople under the Ottomans - and who was also an incredible cook. She insisted that all the good things about Greek cooking came from the Turks, and that otherwise, culinarily, the Greeks were a just bunch of goatherds.

Just a little bit of it goes a long way.

Same with coffee. Same with lokum. And yea, it's all basically Turkish in origin but never tell a Greek that.

Coffee is from the Turks? I did not know that.

*applauds*

R8 Obviously we're talking about the particular strong brew known as Turkish coffee everywhere. Except Greece.

I’m reading the Island of Missing Trees that is set partially on Cyprus and part of the story is narrated by a fig tree. At the heart of the story is the Greek/Turkish conflict and a Romeo and Juliet relationship between young people of each side. This is brought up and the main difference is stated that the Turks use toasted almonds, where as the Greeks use raw walnuts.

I like it but its not easy to find baklava made with quality walnuts, butter, and honey. All three ingredients are pricy so many if not most restaurants and delis take shortcuts. I can tell right away if the walnuts are stale or worse, rancid, same with the butter, and I can tell if there is no butter, or no honey.

I love a good baklava. I've made it twice (store-bought phyllo dough). The first time, it was delicious. The second time, I was with my friend and I think we didn't put the care into it (brushing every sheet with butter, etc.). Came out crappy, sheets fluffy and not adhered.

they can fight, but I buy Baklava from Middle East, not Greece or Turkey.

I went to school with a lot of Armenian(-American) students, and for school potlucks, their mothers would bring huge trays of baklava and stuffed grape leaves.

Even in Turkey and Greece these days, sugar syrup of some type often gets used, with maybe a bit of honey so they can claim it as an ingredient.

^ "stuffed grape leaves", they call it Tolma.

R15 yes I know. It bugs me. But people don't have a lot of money and the pastry shops have to price it to sell.

Or dolmas r16

Yes Baklava is good but it seem that every dessert in that part of the world is just baklava in different shapes

i'd take baklava, in all its incarnations, over any cake any day of the week

As my partner of ten years always said, “Greek food? Turkish food, only overcooked”.

If you want to open up a real can of worms, ask who invented hummus?

it's too sweet!

Too sweet.

When its made with the richest ingredients its not too sweet but it is very heavy.

One piece is 1000 calories

R11 - the syrup varies with the country. Greeks use honey, Turks use sugar and lemon juice, Iranians use sugar and rose water. Personally, I find the Greek version can be overly sweet and cloying. Actually, Christine Cushing (Greek) uses the water, sugar and lemon juice syrup.

Nuts can also be different. I've had it with pistachios and a mix of pistachios and almonds. Bad nuts are always bad.

I like the baklava that looks vaguely like shredded wheat -- that's the best one.

I prefer almond roca.

Probably in my top 3 favorite desserts....well, at least topped with real vanilla ice cream like I ate it once....mary, that was delicious.

I was at our local market today that caters to Middle Easterners, Persians, Muslims (halal butcher) etc and bought a pound of baklava. Pistachio. Delicious.

I love baklava and make it at home regularly. I use pecans and almonds (spiced with cinnamon and cardamum), clarified butter, and homemade syrup made from sugar, water, rosewater, orange zest, and whole cloves. I soak it properly, but serve it with a small pitcher of extra syrup for those that want it. Yes, it is very pricey to make -but I think it's worth it, as it yields a lot, people love it as a gift, and it keeps well for a long time.

Also, if I have any leftover ground nuts I stick them in the freezer until the next time I make ice cream. Add the nuts to a standard batch of vanilla ice cream -it's amazing!

In the end, I don't care who invented it -I just appreciate it!

is this you recipe R32 or from somewhere. I'd like to try it.

It's my own, based on years of eating various styles and researching traditional recipes. The conclusion I came to was that there was a LOT of leeway about how you make baklava, so I make it the way I like it.

All of it the food, the coffee, even the ouzo/raki is from Turkey, spread all over the Balkans, the Near/Middle East and Central Asia by the Ottoman conquest. The ONLY culinary contribution by the Greeks is kourambiethes, a almond butter cookie covered with powdered sugar eaten at Greek Xmas. They made their way all over the Near East due to the number of Greek Orthodox adherents.

I was on Naxos sitting in a coffee house and made the collosal mistake of asking for Turkish coffee, instead of black coffee. Major Oooooopssss.

Your sugar syrup is cooked and then you remove the whole cloves before you assemble? Do you add the rose water and orange zest when the syrup is cooled, as well? The heat would destroy the delicate parfum otherwise I imagine.

I add the zest and cloves at the start, and add the rosewater after straining.