Baklava: all the sweetness in the world in a miniature cake

Everyone knows the baklava. This pastry is eaten in so many countries that I don’t have the courage to make a list of them, at the risk of upsetting a forgotten one

 

Beware, the origin of the Baklava is not to be laughed at, it has been bitterly disputed for centuries. But in order to provide some elements of localization, Persians, Turks and Byzantines share the authorship. Anyway, I have seen a few of them everywhere, all as good as the others. 
Just by looking at that shiny baklava in the window, you already gain a kilo: it’s an atomic bomb of calories all by itself. Filo pastry (or phyllo), sugar syrup galore (or honey, depending on the country), almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios or walnuts (depending on the place), you mix all this on several layers, sprinkle with syrup and wait a little while for the pastry to soften and gorge itself with all the aromas. 
Prepared in a large round or square mold, all that’s left to do is to cut the baklava into small diamond shapes crowned with an almond, hazelnut or pistachio nut. It is best enjoyed with hot tea at a café terrace or in a souk.

The baklava is so sweet that it is rarely abused

Pastry purists will certainly disdain this sugar-saturated dessert because they find it too unsophisticated. I find it rather reductive. 
There is for me in this tiny cake and this glass of coloured tea all the poetry of East and West mixed together. Its true sweetness, this light crunch despite the syrupy taste, the finesse of these 33 extra-fine pastry leaves… 
The baklava is rich and modest at the same time, strong in flavour, powerful, melting and crispy… It hides in this leaflet the sounds, the smells, the atmosphere of sun-bleached cities, white houses, tea-time gatherings, the stifling heat and the comfort of the shade.
So one piece of advice: don’t miss out on this delicacy!

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