Baklava is the magical dessert originated in Ottoman Empire. Baklava was not only one of the must and most beautiful dishes in the Ottoman Palace, but it was also sweetening and watering common people’s mouths. In accordance with Palace tradition, Padisah (Sultan) has presented baklava as a gift to Janissaries (The Elite Forces of the Palace) every 15th day of the Holy Month Ramadan. This ceremony of giving baklava to Janissaries was called Baklava Alayi.
Why baklava is so magical? First, it is really sweet. So if you have a sweet tooth, there is no way that you won’t love this traditional Turkish dessert. Second, the real baklava is handmade. According to tradition, there should be 40 layers of handmade very thin dough in every piece of baklava. When you watch a Baklava master playing with every layer of dough, you will be amazed. A thin layer of dough dancing in the air and turning around and slowly landing back to the master’s magical hands. Last but not least, although baklava may come with different flavours, Turkish Antep Pistachios make Turkish baklava unique, unforgettable and addictive. Did you know that in 2013, Antep (Gaziantep) Baklava became the first Turkish product that is registered in the European Commission list of protected designations of origins and protected geographical indications, which is a list that promotes and protects the names of quality agricultural products.
There are plenty of baklava flavours. Best Turkish baklava may change according to your taste. Classic baklava is full of pistachios. Besides famous pistachio baklava, the second most common is walnut baklava. Sobiyet (şöbiyet), carrot slice (havuç dilimi - the triangle carrot like shape gives the name to this pistachio festival), pistachio rolls (if you are also a fan of Turkish Antep pistachios , these rolls will fly you to the moon), dry baklava (don’t let the name fool you. Dry baklava is not necessarily dry but the base of the baklava has less syrup and this type of baklava is ideal if you would like to keep the package unopened for days or a couple of weeks), sultan padisah baklava, mussel (midye) baklava (like carrot slice, the shape gives name to these addictive sweets), nightingale’s nest (bülbül yuvası - this name has a long story. Stay tuned for coming Baqqalia stories). Chocolate covered baklava is an alternative for those who wish to mix world’s two best sweets in one plate. Alternatively, vegan baklava and diabetic baklava can be added to this growing list.
So what is the best baklava? Let’s cut the long story short and announce our list of Top 10 Baklava of 2022:
- Faruk Güllüoğlu Pistachio Mussel Baklava (Fıstıklı Midye Baklava)
- Karaköy Güllüoglu Chocolate Baklava (Çikolatalı Baklava)
- Isler Special Dry Baklava with Antep Pistachio (Fıstıklı Kuru Baklava)
- Kaymaklava Special Şöbiyet (Shaabiyat, Shobiyat)
- Baklavaci Hacibaba Rolled Pistachio (Antep Fıstıklı Burma)
- Hafiz Mustafa Walnut Sultan (Cevizli Sultan)
- Güllüoglu Ömer Güllü Carrot Slice with Pistachio Baklava (Fıstıklı Havuç Dilimi Baklava)
- Imam Çagdaş Pistachio Dry Baklava (Fıstıklı Kuru Baklava)
- Karaköy Güllüoglu Pistachio Dry Baklava
AND…
- Koçak Special Dry Baklava
It is really incredibly difficult task to pick the best of the best baklava from Turkey. On purpose we didn’t add ranking numbers to this magical list. Some of these brands have been using the same traditional handmade baklavas for centuries with unchanging taste and quality. They all deserve a very big applause.
Afiyet olsun!
Bon Appetit!
Baqqalia offers you best baklava brands and best baklava flavours from Turkey. Taste the fresh, crispy delicacy of traditional Turkish cuisine through Baqqalia!