Definition of baklava: Arabic, Turkish, or Greek baklava origin


Many pieces of baklava decorated with pistachios

As we know, the baklava is a rich made from dough chips stuffed (phyllo, filo) with nuts, pistachios, and syrup is famous in several regions around the world, especially as it is one of the lovely sweets of all monotheistic religions and different cultures.

Layers of thin, crisp kneading, filled with pistachios soaked in melted sugar, are enough to make the "baklava" the favourite dessert among lovers of sugary foods.

If you are wondering about the countries of origin or place of origin baklava, today and in this article, we will talk about the origin around approximately which country the original baklava is from, is- the Turkish in origin or of Greece origin and a lot of questions.


What is the exact origin of baklava?

The history of baklava is not well, baklava is a pastry dessert of contested origin, It was, and still is, a word that is disputed in history and origin according to Wikipedia, Unfortunately, this has not been well documented. Many ethnic groups, such as Greece, Turks, and Middle Easterners, claim that the origin of baklava are theirs, and each of them makes and prepares it in their way.

Identifies as the origin of baklava was in the era of the Assyrians, they were the first in human history to make desserts similar to baklava, and what came after it is nothing but diligence in the details of the quality of the dough productive and the content of the filling.

It is not known to whom the merit of making baklava, even historians say that there is a dispute between Turkey and Greece because each country re-manufactures baklava for itself. Still, some accounts talk about the fact that the primary industry of baklava or something similar was in the second century BC in Mesopotamia and before Assyrians at the time. Mesopotamia is a middle eastern origin.


The origin of baklava from Greece?

Thought to be of Greek origin, it is told in a novel that ancient Greece's sailors and merchants, who went to Mesopotamia, soon discovered the pleasures of this candy. They brought the recipe with them to Greece and made some minor adjustments.

Their significant contribution to the development of this dessert is linked to the question of their invention of a new dough method that allows it to be thinner to the thickness of the paper, compared to the thick raw bread dough of the Assyrian.

The name Phyllo, meaning flakes of dough, was coined by the Greeks, meaning "chips" in Greek.

Others say the radix of baklava goes back to Byzantine times. Greek professor Spiros Vriones defends this Byzantine theory by creating similarities with the Greek dessert known as "koptun".


Can you be sure about baklava origin and history?

Some say that it is a Middle Eastern origin consisting of several regions, including Turkey, Greece, Lebanon, Syria, and Tunisia, so it is never possible to determine and judge the source of this category of sweets because it is considered one of the ancient cultures that unite many countries so that researchers and specialists could not. To prove the perfect origin.


Do you believe baklava originated in a specific country?

Though today if you think baklava belongs to a specific country, you are wrong because there is no conclusive proof, we cannot define a single state in the Middle East and say that the origin of baklava belongs to him because before, the region East was almost a culture and a civilization united or maybe It was an Ottoman Empire. One cannot say that the radix of this dessert is Armenian origin, Assyrian origin, or Balkans origin


The reason for naming baklava with this name:

The word baklava is derived from the Turkish language during the time of the Ottoman Empire and is used in many languages ​​with a slight difference in pronunciation and writing. It was telling that her name came from the name of the wife of the Sultan of the Ottoman Sultans, when her husband, the Sultan, asked her to make her a new type of candy that had not been prepared before...

 She went and brought the stuffed kneading, set the different kinds of fillings between her layers, added the margarine and baked it, and put honey on it. When she presented it, the sultan said that he did not taste the most delicious like him, and in honor of his skilled wife, he launched this type of dessert her name, and then it spread to many Arab regions.

 But the second narration also during the era of the Ottoman Empire says that a brilliant cook, not the wife of the Sultan, whose name was Lawa, was the one who invented the baklava. Sultan Abdul Hamid was very impressed with its making, so he called it "Baq Lawa," meaning "Look" Lawa "is what she did."


Baklava has reached literature.

Baklava was not even absent from international novels and stories. In 2005, the Arab-American writer Diana Abu Jaber published a biography entitled (The Language of Baklava), as well as the book (Sweet Baklava) written by Debbie Mayne in 2011.

And in 2014, British writer Jason Goodwin wrote a novel (The Baklava Club: A Novel.)


 Baklava is their national dessert in Turkey to confirm its origins.

Baklava entered among the celebrations of the Ottoman Empire, so the sweet procession appeared at the end of the 17th century AD, on the 15th of Ramadan, and after the sultan visited the vital stage in his capacity as caliph, baklava trays were distributed to the janissary units and other military units in Istanbul, provided that every ten people had a Baklava tray

The soldiers carried out the reception of the baklava and its transport in a luxurious ceremony, like the one that organizes an annual baklava festival in Istanbul, where they make it in a festive atmosphere to preserve the heritage. The baklava industry that has been passed down for generations, with the Ottoman sultans devoting a day to distributing this dessert to soldiers. To declare that it was they who invented this type of pastry, they even entered into a conflict with Cyprus, which moved in the corridors of the European Union to recognize its actual possession.


Which country has the best baklava?

Turkish Baklava

At this moment, the most famous country which is popular and has a high demand for this dessert in Turkish, so as soon as you mention the name of baklava, it comes to mind Turkish or Istanbul, the capital.

baklawa plateau with the flag of turkey

The most famous city in Turkish for baklava:

The town of Gaziantep is historically famous for producing the creamy dessert pasta with Antabi green pistachios, as they say: "Those who have not eaten the dessert from Gaziantep have not visited Turkish." Also, the city of Gaziantep contains more than 180 stores selling sweets, producing the best types of baklava in the world.