Is baklava Greek or Turkish?

[seleanor]

I don't mean to be controversial here...but I'm curious about the origins of baklava. I've heard a lot of debate, does anyone know where it comes from?

 

[Worldwide Greeks Editor]

This is a big question!

Since I am 100% Greek, I am going to say Greek!




Here are a few articles I found out about this:
https://www.greekboston.com/cooking/different-baklava/
https://theculturetrip.com/europe/turkey/articles/the-history-of-baklava-in-1-minute/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baklava
https://libanaissweets.com/about-us/the-history-of-baklava/

 

[cf_fraiser]

It's complicated! People from many different cultures and countries eat baklava. Since many people enjoy it, I would say why can't it be both?

 

[fornace55]

I don't mean to be controversial here...but I'm curious about the origins of baklava. I've heard a lot of debate, does anyone know where it comes from?

View attachment 199

Greeks lived a very long time in todays turkish territory and Greece was occupied by the ottomans for 400 years. I think is it very difficult to say from which part things come from. On my first trip to Greece (1973), coffee was called turkish coffee. Today you should not order
it with this name. Why don't you just enjoy it and hope this two countries can live in peace one day.

 

[k_tsoukalas]

It's complicated. Phyllo originated in Greece in the 3rd Century BC. There is a similar dessert in Ancient Greece that has the same filing but uses a different dough. Many believe that the dish itself came from the Byzantine Empire. The word baklava has Turkish origins, but that doesn't mean that the dessert wasn't Byzantine or Greek first, and then reabsorbed into he Greek Culture through the Turkish name for it (because of Ottoman occupation). Some credit the Syrians or Egyptians for making it first. It is popular throughout the Mediterranean and its origin hasn't been well documented, so all we can do is guess. I am Greek so I vote Greek, though!

 

[d_kakavouli]

Greeks lived a very long time in todays turkish territory and Greece was occupied by the ottomans for 400 years. I think is it very difficult to say from which part things come from. On my first trip to Greece (1973), coffee was called turkish coffee. Today you should not order
it with this name. Why don't you just enjoy it and hope this two countries can live in peace one day.

I had no idea that once upon a time they called in Turkish coffee in Greece too!

 

[byzantian]

Is it Greek or Turkish? If it comes to that choice, it is Greek, for the simple reason that filo pastry was known and made in Ancient Greece. What else did they have in Ancient Greece? They had honey and they had almonds and walnuts. And that was a long time before the Turks arrived on the scene. Now, whether the Greeks actually invented baklava or borrowed it from an earlier culture...who knows? Also we should remember that Arab pirates raided the Dodecanese islands from the 7th century (?) AD onwards and as well as looting they would have abducted Greek women and taken them off to their lands. This is one way ideas and skills are promulgated.

 

[Emilios]

Neither Greek nor Turkish. It's coming from Arabs.

 

[Ioanna]

Turks invented it, Greeks perfected it
All kidding aside, every country adds their own spin to it, it all tastes delicious!

 

[blopez34]

Turks invented it, Greeks perfected it
All kidding aside, every country adds their own spin to it, it all tastes delicious!

I love tasting the different versions! That's the beauty of baklava