History of baklava

One version of the story claims that the dessert originates from the mighty Assyrians, who had been preparing it as early as the 8th century B.C. by layering unleavened flatbread with chopped nuts in between, drenching it in honey and then baking it in primitive wood-burning ovens. The modern-day baklava went through a number of transitions as the history of the area continued to change over the millennia. Middle East, Eastern Mediterranean, Balkans, Caucasia; the Turks, Arabs, Greeks, Armenians, and Bulgarians of today who introduce the dessert as their national dessert, were all part of the Ottoman Empire at one time. It is said that ancient Greek seamen and merchants traveling to Mesopotamia soon discovered the delights of baklava. They brought the recipe back to Greece and modified it slightly. Their 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 the 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. Others say that baklava originates from the Byzantine era. Greek professor Speros Vryonis defends the Byzantine thesis by creating similarities with a Greek dessert called kopton. The American journalist Charles Perry, however, dismisses this theory, arguing instead that baklava is a culinary fusion of Turkish Central Asian flaky desserts and Persian fillings made from cooked, dried fruits (nuts, hazelnuts, and peanuts). Whatever the historical controversies, the fact remains that baklava is a delicious traditional dessert made of layers of crispy golden brown phyllo, filled with chopped nuts and garnished with lemon-scented syrup…Just heaven!