Baklava – Layers of Sweetness and Delicacy - Ba-Li Cravings (2024)

FAQs

Why does baklava have 33 layers? ›

It has strong religious roots.

In Greece, it is traditionally made with thirty-three layers of dough which each layer representing one year of the life of Christ. It is also a common dessert for Muslims during Ramadan, and Eid ul-Fitr, as well as Pascha and Christmas for Christians.

Baklava is a good source of essential vitamins and minerals

Nuts are an excellent source of heart-healthy fats, protein, fiber, and essential vitamins and minerals like magnesium, vitamin E, and selenium. This makes Baklava a dessert that contributes positively to your nutrient intake.

History. The three main proposals for the roots of baklava are the Greek placenta cake, the Medieval Arab/Persian lauzinaj, and the Central Asian Turkic tradition of layered breads. There are also claims attributing baklava to the Assyrians, according to which baklava was prepared by them in the 8th century BC.

Baklava has a really lengthy shelf life, lasting about 2+ weeks. It should be stored in an airtight container, either in room temperature or in the fridge. Storing in room temperature will preserve the crispness. If you like your baklava chewy and a bit harder, store it in the refrigerator.

Baklava is made out of sugar (şerbet), yufka (sort of a flat layered dough) and antep fıstığı (pistachio). These three ingridients are very expensive in Turkey due to the shortages of production and current currency crisis.

Turkish cuisine is known for its rich and varied flavors, and baklava is one of the most important representatives of this culinary culture. Special occasions, holidays and celebrations are unthinkable without baklava.

Eating excessive amounts of baklava can cause a rapid increase in blood sugar levels, leading to insulin resistance, weight gain, and other metabolic disorders. It is important to consume baklava and other sugary foods in moderation and as part of a balanced diet.

Baklava is too sweet and made in pure butter, so it is very heavy food full of calories. Therefore one or two pieces are ok. But take too much of baklava, and you will feel heavy and lethargic afterwards. So it has empty calories of sugar refined flour, and the fat of butter.

Treats such as baklava, barfi or rasmali can be high in fat and sugar. Only a small amount can make quite an impact on pushing up your blood sugars.

While baklava itself is not uniquely Jewish, its integration into the culinary traditions of Sephardic Jews, who lived in regions under Ottoman rule, is well documented.

What is a fun fact about baklava? ›

Fact 1: The holy Baklava dessert

In the Greek edition of this dessert, the 33 layers of phyllo represent the 33 priceless years that Jesus Christ lived on earth. On any holy day, you can find a Turkish family preparing this delicacy, which has 33 layers.

As walnuts have a more bitter flavor than pistachio, it's less sweet than the pistachio and, if you're ordering more than one variety at once, forms a nice counter-balance to many of the sweeter forms of the dessert.

As stated before, baklava mostly gets hard to chew and brittle, falling apart easily. For those who use a lot of honey or sugar syrup on their baklava, it can start to go bad when it gets too soggy to hold. Other signs to look out for is if it starts to fade in color or discolor altogether.

Cool to room temperature.

Let the baklava sit out uncovered for 3-4 hours until it has completely cooled to room temperature, then serve and enjoy!

Gently rest the pan on a tilt for 2 hours to drain the excess syrup. This will ensure that your baklava is crispy on top, and moist (not soggy) on the bottom.

Phyllo dough is usually found in the frozen food section, either in flat squares or in rolls. One package contains dozens of paper-thin sheets of phyllo. Most preparations use 5 or more of these sheets stacked together. These sheets can become gummy if too damp or brittle if too dry.

A subtle difference between baklawa and baklava is a couple of ingredients. Baklawa uses more nuts in one layer, sandwiched between the filo layers. On the other hand, baklava has many layers of nuts, filo, and sweet syrups. The nuts in baklava vary from pistachios and walnuts.

Lebanese Baklava

Typically, the syrup is not as sweet as in Greek or Turkish baklava syrups. The syrup is often perfumed with rose water or orange blossom water, as well as lemon juice, which also helps thicken it.