Anyone with a taste for Turkish pastries has tried Baklava; the layered filo dough delicacy made with chopped nuts and honey or syrup. But how many know it’s origins?
Well, as it turns out, not even the “experts” are sure where it originated. Many different ethnic groups have claimed this treat, although there is evidence that the modern version is based on a Central Asian Turkic layered bread.
Greek and Byzantine historian Speros Vryonis claims that the ancient Greek dish Deipnosophistae is based on a Byzantine creation similar to baklava, despite it not containing any dough, just crushed nuts and honey.
So it appears that the doughy treat from Byzantine culture was combined with the Deipnosophistae, and other countries the Mediterranean and Middle East evolved the creation with filo dough, unleavened flour dough, into the contemporary treat.
The dish traces back to a Mesopotamian cookbook from the 13th century.
Today, you can try this delicious desert at Olivia restaurant after devouring one of our delicious dinners, or simply eat it as a meal of its own. With over 800 years of history, you know it has to be a favorite!