Baklava a middle eastern dessert By: Taylor Zwimpfer

History The word “Baklava” is of Turkish Origin, though many believe the dish itself to be Greek The best evidence suggests Baklava is Central Asian Turkish origin due to the Turkish tradition of layered breads

Cultural Significance Baklava is typically a dish made for special occasions do to the expense of ingredients and amount of time necessary to be devoted to its preparation In many regions it is served at Christian holidays such as Christmas and Easter It is a dessert made by Muslims during the month of Ramadan

Relevance I made Baklava because one of my closest friends is of Turkish descent and her mother always makes the best foods. I had never tried dessert of this culture before so I researched a few options. In the end I settled on Baklava because sounded the tastiest and is said to be a dessert meant for special occasions such as holidays and celebrations. From this I gathered that it must be important and worth giving it a try.

Ingredients Phyllo or fillo dough (paper-thin sheets of unleavened flour dough used for making pastries in Middle Eastern and Balkan cuisine) Sugar Honey Salt Cinnamon Lemon juice Unsalted Butter Ground Cloves Walnuts (produced majorly in Turkey) Cardamom Water All ingredients can be purchased at your local grocery store.

Preparation Nut mixture: Combine in a food processor 1 lb of shelled walnuts with 1 ½ teaspoons of cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon of salt Set aside mixture in a bowl to use later

Preparation Syrup: In a medium sauce pan combine 1 cup honey, 1 cup sugar, ¾ cup water, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 2 pinches of cinnamon, 2 pinches of cardamom, 2 pinches cloves Melt this mixture over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved and a syrup is formed, then set aside to cool

Preparation Butter: Melt 2 sticks of butter in a saucepan to use as a glaze over the dough Dough: Be sure that the phyllo dough is thawed before using. Because the dough is so thin it will dry out very quickly so a damp wash cloth should be used to cover. A 9x13 pan should be buttered before the layering process begins. Place one layer of phyllo in the pan and brush the melted butter over its surface. Continue this for a total of 7 layers of dough

Preparation On top of the 7 layers, pour ¾ cup of the nut mixture and spread evenly. After this, add 7 more layers of dough, buttering each layer, then add more nuts and continue the process. The final layer should end with the phyllo dough on top.

Preparation Before baking: cut the baklava into diamond shaped portions by first making 1 ½ inch sections and then 1 inch diagonal sections. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Preparation After removing from the oven, allow to sit for 5 minutes and then drizzle syrup over the entire pan, spreading evenly. Let the dessert sit for a few hours before serving.

The End Result This dessert is incredibly rich and savory. Both my roommate and I agree that it should be put on the list as a treat rather than a nutritionally beneficial food item. It is very sweet and contains large amounts of sugary products. The honey, sugar and cinnamon were incredibly prevalent in the taste, but the flaky phyllo dough calmed them down. Overall, I found Baklava to be one of the best desserts I have ever had, but also became aware as to why it is only eaten on special occasions. Having this every day would not be very good for your health.