Difference between revisions of "Baklava" - New World Encyclopedia

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Baklava

Baklava or baklawa is a rich, sweet pastry featured in many cuisines of the former Ottoman countries. It is a pastry made of layers of phyllo dough filled with chopped walnuts or pistachios and sweetened with syrup or honey.

Preparation

Baklava is prepared on large trays and cut into a variety of shapes

Baklava is basically layers of crisp phyllo dough (paper-thin sheets of raw, unleavened flour dough used for making pastries) alternated with a sugary spiced nut mixture, which includes walnuts, almonds, and possibly pistachios. Melted shortening is poured on top. After baking, and the whole thing is soaked in fragrant sweet syrup made with honey, lemon, and cinnamon. Sweet and exotic, baklava is cut into small pieces of various shapes and cooled before serving.

History

Baklavas

The word "baklava" entered English from Turkish. The history of baklava is not well-documented; but although it has been claimed by many ethnic groups, it is said to be Greek but the best evidence is that it is of Central Asian Turkic origin.^[1] The thin phyllo dough as used today was probably developed in the kitchens of the Topkapi Palace. Indeed, the sultan presented trays of baklava to the Janissaries every 15th of Ramadan in a ceremonial procession called the Baklava Alayı.^[2]

A typical baklava, sweetened with syrup.

One of the oldest known recipes for a sort of proto-baklava is found in a Chinese cookbook written in 1330 under the Yuan (Mongol) dynasty under the name güllach.^[3] "Güllaç" is found in Turkish cuisine. Layers of phyllo dough are put one by one in warmed up milk with sugar. It is served with walnut and fresh pomegranate and generally eaten during Ramadan.

Cultural significance

Gaziantep, a city in Turkey, is famous for its baklava and, in Turkey, is widely regarded as the native city of the dessert.^[4] In 2008, the Turkish patent office registered a geographical indication certificate for Antep Baklava.^[5]

Baklava was chosen to represent Cyprus in the presentation Sweet Europe of the cultural initiative Café Europe in 2006.

Regional variations

Several types of Baklava

Baklava is the most famous of the Greek pastries, and every area of Greece - and sometimes every family within a region - has a favorite recipe. Enjoy this favorite of mine, made with walnuts and almonds, olive oil, cinnamon, and cloves. The recipe is a modified version of a Cretan specialty from Roman times, Gastrin.

In Greek: γάστριν, pronounced GHAHS-treen

Sesame seeds, pepper, and poppy seeds are only some of the unusual ingredients in this ancient recipe. Petimezi (a sweetener made from grapes), used long before sugar arrived in Greece, adds to the unique taste. If you're hooked on the Ancients, give this recipe a try.

Balkava (from the Farsi for "many leaves"), a pastry perfected by royal bakers in the sultan's palace in Istanbul, consists of layers of phyllo filled with nuts and spices and drenched in a syrup. It has become a traditional Middle Eastern Rosh Hashannah and Purim treat but is enjoyed at celebrations throughout the year. There are numerous variations of baklava, many a closely guarded secret passed down within families. A walnut filling is more prevalent in the Levant, while pistachios and pistachio-almond fillings are preferred in Iran. Blanched almonds are traditional on Rosh Hashannah to produce a light color so that the year should be dulce y aclarada ("sweet and bright"). Sephardim refrain from serving dark-colored pastries such as those made from walnuts on Rosh Hashannah, which would portend a dark year. Although purists disdain anything except the classic nut filling, some cooks innovated by adding such items as dates and chocolate chips. Hungarians make an apricot version. This very rich treat is usually served in small portions.^[6]

Notes

↑ Perry 1994, 87
↑ Wasti, 2005
↑ Paul D. Buell, "Mongol Empire and Turkicization: The Evidence of Food and Foodways," in Reuven Amitai-Preiss, and David O. Morgan (eds.), 1999
↑ Guide Martin: Gaziantep
↑ Newstime 7, February 21, 2008[1]
↑ Gil Marks, middle eastern nut-filled multilayered pastry (baklava) The World Of Jewish Desserts (Simon & Schuster, 2000, ISBN 978-0684870038) Epicurious.com Retrieved June 18, 2008.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

Reuven Amitai-Preiss and David O. Morgan, eds., The Mongol Empire and Its Legacy Brill, 1999. ISBN 9004119469
Paul D. Buell, "Mongol Empire and Turkicization: The Evidence of Food and Foodways," p. 200ff, in Amitai-Preiss, op.cit.
Christian, David. Review of Amitai-Preiss, op.cit., in Journal of World History 12:2:476 (2001).
Perry, Charles. "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. ISBN 1-86064-603-4.
Claudia, Roden. The New Book of Middle Eastern Food. Knopf, 2000. ISBN 978-0375405068
Vryonis, Speros, The Decline of Medieval Hellenism in Asia Minor, 1971. Quoted in Perry (1994).
Wasti, Syed Tanvir, "The Ottoman Ceremony of the Royal Purse," Middle Eastern Studies 41:2:193–200 (March 2005)
Gaifyllia, Nancy. The Art of Baklava About.com. Retrieved June 18, 2008.
Mark, Gil. The World Of Jewish Desserts. Simon & Schuster, 2000. ISBN 978-0684870038

External links

Credits

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[1] Perry 1994, 87

[2] Wasti, 2005

[3] Paul D. Buell, "Mongol Empire and Turkicization: The Evidence of Food and Foodways," in Reuven Amitai-Preiss, and David O. Morgan (eds.), 1999

[4] Guide Martin: Gaziantep

[5] Newstime 7, February 21, 2008[1]

[6] Gil Marks, middle eastern nut-filled multilayered pastry (baklava) The World Of Jewish Desserts (Simon & Schuster, 2000, ISBN 978-0684870038) Epicurious.com Retrieved June 18, 2008.

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@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 '''Baklava''' or '''baklawa''' is a rich, sweet [[pastry]] featured in many [[cuisine]]s of the former [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] countries. It is a pastry made of layers of [[phyllo]] dough filled with chopped [[walnut]]s or [[pistachio]]s and sweetened with [[syrup]] or [[honey]].
-[[Gaziantep]], a city in [[Turkey]], is famous for its baklava and, in Turkey, is widely regarded as the native city of the [[dessert]].<ref>[http://www.guide-martine.com/southeastern4.asp Guide Martin: Gaziantep]</ref> In 2008, the Turkish patent office registered a geographical indication certificate for Antep Baklava.<ref>''Newstime 7'', February 21, 2008[http://www.newstime7.com/haber/20080221/Baklava-gets-indication-certificate.php]</ref>
-Baklava was chosen to represent [[Cyprus]] in the presentation ''Sweet Europe'' of the cultural initiative [[Café Europe]] in 2006.
 ==Preparation==
 [[Image:Baklava ST 06.JPG|thumb|left|250 px|Baklava is prepared on large trays and cut into a variety of shapes]]
-In baklava, layers of crisp phyllo dough alternate with a sugary spiced nut mixture, and the whole thing is then soaked in fragrant sweet syrup made with honey, lemon and cinnamon. It's an exotic and decadent treat to be sure.
+'''Baklava''' is basically layers of crisp [[phyllo dough]] (paper-thin sheets of raw, unleavened flour dough used for making pastries) alternated with a sugary spiced [[nut]] mixture, which includes [[walnut]]s, [[almond]]s, and possibly [[pistachio]]s. Melted shortening is poured on top. After [[baking]], and the whole thing is soaked in fragrant sweet syrup made with [[honey]], [[lemon]], and [[cinnamon]]. Sweet and exotic, baklava is cut into small pieces of various shapes and cooled before serving.
-Ingredients: 1 pound phyllo dough 1 pound chopped walnuts 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 4 tablespoons sugar 1 pound solid vegetable shortening
-Honey syrup:
-cups water 4 cups sugar 2 tablespoons honey 1 tablespoon lemon juice
-Bring water and sugar to boil in saucepan. Add honey and lemon juice.
-Directions:
-Prepare honey syrup and let cool. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 18-by-12-inch heavy pan with high sides with shortening. Do not use a cookie sheet. Add half of dough. Combine nuts, cinnamon and sugar in bowl. Sprinkle over layer of dough. Top with remaining half of dough. Make diagonal crisscross cuts through dough, an inch apart, creating diamond-shaped pieces. Pour melted shortening over all and bake in preheated oven 45 minutes. Cover with cold syrup. Let baklava cool before serving.
 == History ==
 [[Image:Baklavas.jpg|thumb|right|200 px|Baklavas]]
-The word baklava entered English from [[Turkish language|Turkish]];<ref>[http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/baklava Merriam-Webster Online, ''s.v.'' Baklava]</ref><ref>[http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/baklava Dictionary.com Unabridged, ''s.v.'' Baklava]</ref> it is sometimes connected with the Arabic word for "bean" (بقلة /baqlah/), but [[Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic|Wehr's dictionary]] lists them as unrelated. Akın and Lambraki <ref> ''Turkish and Greek Cuisine/Türk ve Yunan Mutfağı'' p. 248-249, ISBN 9754584842</ref> state that the word ''baklava'' entered into Arabic from Turkish. Buell (1999) argues that the word "baklava" may come from the [[Mongolian language|Mongolian]] root ''baγla-'' 'to tie, wrap up, pile up' composed with the [[Turkic languages|Turkic]] verbal ending ''-v''. Baklava is found in many cuisines, with minor phonetic variations on the name.
+The word "baklava" entered English from [[Turkish language|Turkish]]. The history of baklava is not well-documented; but although it has been claimed by many [[ethnic group]]s, it is said to be Greek but the best evidence is that it is of [[Central Asian cuisine|Central Asian]] [[Turkic peoples|Turkic]] origin.<ref>Perry 1994, 87</ref> The thin [[phyllo dough]] as used today was probably developed in the kitchens of the [[Topkapi Palace]]. Indeed, the sultan presented trays of baklava to the [[Janissaries]] every 15th of [[Ramadan]] in a ceremonial procession called the ''Baklava Alayı''.<ref>Wasti, 2005</ref>
-The history of baklava is not well-documented; but although it has been claimed by many ethnic groups, it is said to be Greek but the best evidence is that it is of [[Central Asian cuisine|Central Asian]] [[Turkic peoples|Turkic]] origin, with its current form being developed in the imperial kitchens of the [[Topkapı Palace]].<ref>Perry 1994, 87</ref>
-Vryonis (1971) identified the ancient [[Ancient Greek|Greek]] ''gastris'', ''kopte'', ''kopton'', or ''koptoplakous'', mentioned in the [[Deipnosophistae]], as baklava, and calls it a "[[Byzantine]] favorite." However, Perry (1994) shows that though ''gastris'' contained a filling of nuts and honey, it did not include any dough; instead, it involved a honey and ground [[sesame]] mixture similar to modern ''pasteli'' or ''[[halva]]''.
-Perry then assembles evidence to show that layered breads were created by [[Turkic peoples]] in Central Asia and argues that the "missing link" between the Central Asian folded or layered breads (which did not include nuts) and modern phyllo-based pastries like ''baklava'' is the [[Azerbaijan]]i dish ''[[Baku|Bakı]] pakhlavası'', which involves layers of dough and nuts. The traditional [[Uzbeks|Uzbek]] ''puskal'' or ''yupka'' and [[Tatars|Tatar]] ''yoka'', sweet and salty savories (boreks) prepared with 10-12 layers of dough, are other early examples of layered dough style in Turkic regions.<ref>Akın and Lambraki, ''Turkish and Greek Cuisine/Türk ve Yunan Mutfağı'' p. 248-249, ISBN 9754584842</ref>
 [[Image:Baklava_S.jpg|thumb|right|250px|A typical baklava, sweetened with syrup.]]
-The thin phyllo dough as used today was probably developed in the kitchens of the Topkapı Palace. Indeed, the sultan presented trays of baklava to the [[Janissaries]] every 15th of [[Ramadan]] in a ceremonial procession called the ''Baklava Alayı''.<ref>Wasti, 2005</ref>
-Other claims about its origins include: that it is of [[Assyrian cuisine|Assyrian]]<ref>[http://www.kitchenproject.com/history/Baklava.htm Baklava The History of Baklava] The Kitchen Project. Retrieved June 18, 2008.</ref> origin, dates back to ancient [[Mesopotamia]], and was mentioned in a Mesopotamian cookbook on [[walnut]] dishes; that [[Muhammad bin Hasan al-Baghdadi|al-Baghdadi]] describes it in his 13th-century cookbook; that it was a popular Byzantine dessert.<ref>John Ash, ''A Byzantine Journey'', [http://books.google.com/books?id=eQCKEk1GXlYC&pg=PA223&dq=John+Ash,+A+Byzantine+Journey+baklava&sig=rnTg8FpqmWZ6hk17kNmbEp-VB1Q#PPA223,M1 page 223]</ref><ref>Marcus Rautman, ''Daily Life in the Byzantine Empire'', [http://books.google.com/books?id=hs3iEyVRHKsC&pg=PA96&dq=Marcus+Rautman,+Daily+Life+in+the+Byzantine+Empire+baklava&sig=4dQV14IlnWODZzOqIyghgwYvBV4 page 96]</ref>  But Claudia Roden<ref>''New Book of Middle Eastern Food'', 2000, ISBN 0-375-40506-2</ref> and Andrew Dalby<ref>''Siren Feasts: A History of Food and Gastronomy in Greece'', 1997, ISBN 0-415-15657-2</ref> find no evidence for it in [[Arab]], [[Greece|Greek]], or [[Byzantine]] sources before the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman period]].
+One of the oldest known recipes for a sort of proto-baklava is found in a [[China|Chinese]] cookbook written in 1330 under the [[Yuan Dynasty|Yuan (Mongol) dynasty]] under the name ''güllach''.<ref>Paul D. Buell, "Mongol Empire and Turkicization: The Evidence of Food and Foodways," in Reuven Amitai-Preiss, and David O. Morgan (eds.), 1999</ref> "[[Güllaç]]" is found in Turkish cuisine. Layers of phyllo dough are put one by one in warmed up milk with sugar. It is served with walnut and fresh pomegranate and generally eaten during Ramadan.
-One of the oldest known recipes for a sort of proto-baklava is found in a [[China|Chinese]] cookbook written in 1330 under the [[Yuan Dynasty|Yuan (Mongol) dynasty]] under the name ''güllach'' (Buell, 1999). "[[Güllaç]]" is found in Turkish cuisine. Layers of phyllo dough are put one by one in warmed up milk with sugar. It is served with walnut and fresh pomegranate and generally eaten during Ramadan.
+==Cultural significance==
+[[Gaziantep]], a city in [[Turkey]], is famous for its baklava and, in Turkey, is widely regarded as the native city of the [[dessert]].<ref>[http://www.guide-martine.com/southeastern4.asp Guide Martin: Gaziantep]</ref> In 2008, the Turkish patent office registered a geographical indication certificate for Antep Baklava.<ref>''Newstime 7'', February 21, 2008[http://www.newstime7.com/haber/20080221/Baklava-gets-indication-certificate.php]</ref>
+Baklava was chosen to represent [[Cyprus]] in the presentation ''Sweet Europe'' of the cultural initiative [[Café Europe]] in 2006.
-==Variations==
+==Regional variations==
 [[Image:Many types of baclava.jpg|thumb|left|250 px|Several types of Baklava]]
 Baklava is the most famous of the Greek pastries, and every area of Greece - and sometimes every family within a region - has a favorite recipe. Enjoy this favorite of mine, made with walnuts and almonds, olive oil, cinnamon, and cloves. The recipe is a modified version of a Cretan specialty from Roman times, Gastrin.
@@ Line 58: / Line 40: @@
 ==References==
-* Amitai-Preiss, Reuven and David O. Morgan, (eds.), ''The Mongol Empire and Its Legacy'' Brill, 1999. ISBN 9004119469
+* Reuven Amitai-Preiss and David O. Morgan, eds., ''The Mongol Empire and Its Legacy'' Brill, 1999. ISBN 9004119469
+* Paul D. Buell, "Mongol Empire and Turkicization: The Evidence of Food and Foodways," p. 200''ff'', in Amitai-Preiss, ''op.cit.''
 * Christian, David. Review of Amitai-Preiss, ''op.cit.'', in ''Journal of World History'' '''12''':2:476 (2001).
 * Perry, Charles. "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. ISBN 1-86064-603-4.
-* Roden, Claudia. ''The New Book of Middle Eastern Food''. Knopf, 2000. ISBN 978-0375405068
+* Claudia, Roden. ''The New Book of Middle Eastern Food''. Knopf, 2000. ISBN 978-0375405068
 * Vryonis, Speros, ''The Decline of Medieval Hellenism in Asia Minor'', 1971. Quoted in Perry (1994).
 * Wasti, Syed Tanvir, "The Ottoman Ceremony of the Royal Purse," ''Middle Eastern Studies'' '''41''':2:193–200 (March 2005)