Baklava

History of Baklava, One of the Most Special Tastes of Turkish Cuisine

Baklava is undoubtedly one of the most special flavors of Turkish cuisine. So, what should be known about the history of baklava, which is at the head of the table in many special invitations, especially at the feast tables ?

History of Baklava in Turkish Cuisine

We think that everyone from 7 to 70 agrees that baklava had a considerable place in our country after the Ottoman Empire. The city of Turkey famous for its baklava is of course Gaziantep.

It is a fact that the original Gaziantep baklava prepared today is very different from the baklava produced for the first time in history. The main reason for this is that the baklava recipe , which is taught from master to apprentice, has a different flavor in every hand. However, the differences in the materials used in the production of baklava dough according to the regions have changed the taste of baklava regionally.

Today, since baklava is prepared using different materials and different cooking techniques, classic baklava has been diversified and brought to Turkish cuisine.

History of Baklava in Ottoman Cuisine

As we have mentioned before, the products and flavors that emerged due to the spread of the Ottoman lands over a very wide geography and hosting many different cultures were accepted as common; owned by many nations.

Baklava, one of these, was cooked in the form of phyllo bread in the first periods of its discovery and preparation, but it is known that it was prepared in the Ottoman period in its closest form to today.

According to the information recorded in the kitchen notebooks of the Fatih Sultan Mehmet period, baklava was cooked for the first time in the Topkapı Palace in 1473 in Şaban. Another record of the history of baklava was written by Evliya Çelebi in the middle of the 17th century. Evliya Çelebi wrote in his Travelogue that he tasted baklava prepared in the mansion of one of the Bitlis gentlemen.

However, III. In the Surname prepared by Seyyid Vehbi, one of the poets and writers of the Ahmed period, it is recorded that baklava was served to all guests at the circumcision ceremony of the four princes of the sultan.

From these and other similar records, it is possible to see that although it was a taste known by almost everyone in the Ottoman Empire, baklava was a type of dessert consumed mostly by the high class living in palaces and mansions.

So much so that in the kitchens where baklava is cooked, the masters were chosen from among the experienced people, and the preparation of the baklava delicately; cooked and served to the table. For example, a cook; Before being taken to the palace or mansion kitchen, rice and baklava were made for him, and how thin he rolled the phyllo dough was an important criterion in whether he was hired or not.

The fact that baklava has such a special and important place in Ottoman cuisine has paved the way for the development of baklava and its acceptance as a separate profession from cooking.

Another detail that should be known about the history of baklava in the Ottoman Empire is that there are many different types of baklava prepared. Cream baklava, rice baklava and ordinary baklava written in Melceü’t-Tabbahi, known as the first printed cookbook in Ottoman history, are some of them.

Traditional Baklava

Baklava is a rich, sweet pastry made of layers of filofilled with chopped nuts and sweetened and held together with syrup or honey. It is characteristic of the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire, and is also found in Central and West Asia.The word baklava is first attested in English in 1650, a borrowing from Ottoman Turkish . The name baklava is used in many languages with minor phonetic and spelling variations.