Savor The Sweet Taste Of The Mediterranean With Baklava
The eastern Mediterranean region is known for its delicious food. Whether it's Greek dolmades, Turkish kebabs, Lebanese tabbouleh or Israeli hummus and falafel, it's as if a bite into one of the regional specialties is a bite into pure sunshine. Often there are dishes that are found throughout the area but with slight variations depending on where you are. One of these is a heavenly dessert best known as baklava.
The Mediterranean's most famous dessert is deliciously and decadently syrupy and sweet. It consists of layers of rich pastry and crunchy nuts. A fragrant syrup adds moisture and sugary sweetness.
The dish is usually associated with Greece. However, it seems to be Turkish in origin, with recipes developed in the Topkapi Palace kitchens of the Ottoman Empire, and is therefore found in many countries that were once under Ottoman rule. There are regional recipes that date back several centuries and you'll find variations of this dessert from Greece to countries as far afield as Iran and Afghanistan.
The base of the dish is filo pastry. Layers and layers of pastry are placed in a large baking pan, with melted butter separating them. A more economical option is to use oil instead of butter. In some places, for instance in Albania, the dough also contains egg yolks for an even richer taste. In Greece, traditionally there should be 33 layers of pastry: one for each year of Christ's life on earth.
The next ingredient you'll need is chopped nuts. These can be walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts or even almonds. Mix them with a bit of sugar and, if you want, some spices like cloves or cinnamon. Sprinkle them in between the layers of pastry. Some people only use one layer of nuts with pastry beneath and on top while others use alternating layers.
Before the pastry is baked, it is cut. Triangles, lozenges or rectangles are the most common shapes used but in some places you may use diamond shapes. The syrup is then prepared from sugar, water and flavoring agents such as honey, rose water or orange flower water. It is poured over the pastry as soon as it comes out of the oven and allowed to soak through all the layers. A thin layer of chopped nuts sprinkled on top completes the dish.
The little slices of heaven are often served at special occasions, for instance at weddings or during religious festivals such as Eid, Ramadan, Easter or Christmas. It's best enjoyed at room temperature and some people add a dollop of cream or ice cream too. However, there's nothing like eating a piece with your hands, closing your eyes and letting the syrup drip down between your fingers so that afterwards you can lick off every last drop of sweetness.
Recipes abound and you'll find them in Mediterranean or Middle Eastern cookbooks or online. However, you don't need to make the delicious dessert from scratch. Simply visit a deli or restaurant specializing in the cuisines of Mediterranean or Central Asian countries and buy a few slices of sheer heaven which you can enjoy right there and then.
The Mediterranean's most famous dessert is deliciously and decadently syrupy and sweet. It consists of layers of rich pastry and crunchy nuts. A fragrant syrup adds moisture and sugary sweetness.
The dish is usually associated with Greece. However, it seems to be Turkish in origin, with recipes developed in the Topkapi Palace kitchens of the Ottoman Empire, and is therefore found in many countries that were once under Ottoman rule. There are regional recipes that date back several centuries and you'll find variations of this dessert from Greece to countries as far afield as Iran and Afghanistan.
The base of the dish is filo pastry. Layers and layers of pastry are placed in a large baking pan, with melted butter separating them. A more economical option is to use oil instead of butter. In some places, for instance in Albania, the dough also contains egg yolks for an even richer taste. In Greece, traditionally there should be 33 layers of pastry: one for each year of Christ's life on earth.
The next ingredient you'll need is chopped nuts. These can be walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts or even almonds. Mix them with a bit of sugar and, if you want, some spices like cloves or cinnamon. Sprinkle them in between the layers of pastry. Some people only use one layer of nuts with pastry beneath and on top while others use alternating layers.
Before the pastry is baked, it is cut. Triangles, lozenges or rectangles are the most common shapes used but in some places you may use diamond shapes. The syrup is then prepared from sugar, water and flavoring agents such as honey, rose water or orange flower water. It is poured over the pastry as soon as it comes out of the oven and allowed to soak through all the layers. A thin layer of chopped nuts sprinkled on top completes the dish.
The little slices of heaven are often served at special occasions, for instance at weddings or during religious festivals such as Eid, Ramadan, Easter or Christmas. It's best enjoyed at room temperature and some people add a dollop of cream or ice cream too. However, there's nothing like eating a piece with your hands, closing your eyes and letting the syrup drip down between your fingers so that afterwards you can lick off every last drop of sweetness.
Recipes abound and you'll find them in Mediterranean or Middle Eastern cookbooks or online. However, you don't need to make the delicious dessert from scratch. Simply visit a deli or restaurant specializing in the cuisines of Mediterranean or Central Asian countries and buy a few slices of sheer heaven which you can enjoy right there and then.
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