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Daily Fresh Turkish Baklava
Jan
The origin of Turkish Baklava
Baklava is a very old Turkish pastry. There is strong evidence that its origin comes from Central Asian Turkic tribes.
It is also known that during the Ottoman Empire, in the imperial kitchens of Ottoman Topkapi Palace, the current form was developed. And later, in the late 19th century, small pastry shops were opened in Istanbul and the provincial capitals.
Baklava as an Aphrodisiac
There was a special reason for baklava being a favorite among the wealthy families and the Ottoman Sultans with their large harems. Pistachio and honey were the two prime elements and when consumed regularly they were believed to be aphrodisiacs.
According to a belief, Gaziantep was the first settlement to introduce baklava in Anatolia. Whether it is true or not, Gaziantep‘s version is famous for the simple fact that the pistachios grown there are really tasty. The nuts used in Turkey for baklava show variations depending on the geographical locations. In Southeast Anatolia the pastry is made with pistachio nuts, in the Black Sea region with hazel nuts, in central Anatolia with walnuts and on the Aegean shores with almonds.
