A Brief History of Baklava

No one knows the true origins of baklava. What we can say is, the dessert took its elaborate forms during the Ottoman period, with written evidence in the Topkapı Palace kitchen notebooks beginning in 1473.

A dessert of the sultans, baklava became synonymous with wealth and sophistication as well as a state tradition. During this time, baklava became the dessert of celebration being offered.

Today, baklava is no longer only a dessert for the rich, having become an irreplaceable gift for every kind of celebration. In Turkey, every birth, visit, wedding, graduation is accompanied by boxes of baklava.