Baklava, di sweet wey get thin-thin layers of filo pastry, crunchy nuts, and honey syrup, na dessert wey don cross plenty borders. E don dey popular for Türkiye and di whole world, but now e don enter India sweet culture. Di question be say, how dis Ottoman dessert wey get history wey don tey, waka reach India?
Di story of baklava before Ottoman time get plenty theories, but di one wey people dey accept pass na di one wey talk say e start for Assyrian Empire for 8th century BC. Di Assyrian people for di area wey now be Iraq, Syria, Iran, Kuwait, and Türkiye sabi how to turn flatbread into layers wey dem go fill with nuts and honey.
For Turkish language, 'filo' dey mean 'yufka' or 'yurga,' wey na pleated bread. Di word 'yufka' don dey Turkic languages since di 11th century, as Mahmud Kashgari, di famous lexicographer, write am for him book Diwan Lughat al-Turk, di first big dictionary of Turkic languages.
Di baklava wey we sabi today na Ottoman creation, wey dey rooted for Türkiye sweet traditions. Di first time dem mention am na for di 15th century. As Mary Isin talk for her book Sherbet and Spices The Complete Story of Turkish Sweets and Desserts, food dey very important for Ottoman life, and sweet food get special meaning for everybody. No celebration or event dey complete without sweet food like baklava.
Baklava dey very common for Ramadan, as dem dey make am and share am as goodwill. Isin talk say di janissaries dey give baklava to di grand vizier and other officials as loyalty sign, and di palace go return di favor with trays of baklava. Di Topkapi Palace na di center of dis tradition, where special cooks dey prepare di dessert for royal people.
As Ottoman Empire expand, Turkish food influence other places, and hybrids like Viennese strudel wey come from Turkish filo pastry show. But how baklava waka reach India?
Even though Mughal cookbooks mention sweets like halva, shahi tukda, and phirni, dem no really talk about baklava. E be like say di Mughals no bring di dessert come India. But baklava finally enter India through commoners. For 1909, two Yazdi entrepreneurs open Iranian Sweets Palace for Bhendi Bazaar, South Mumbai. Dem dey sell baklava in Iranian style, and di shop still dey today.
Di craze for baklava for India start for late 2010s. Di rich Turkish dessert dey attract Indians because e fine, e sweet, and e dey look exotic. Plenty Indians wey travel go Türkiye dey bring di dessert back, and dis help spread di love for baklava. Entrepreneurs like Sevki Ozertugrul wey open Turkish food store for Chennai also help di dessert become popular.
Now, baklava dey show for Indian parties, Diwali gifts, and even as healthier option compared to traditional sweets like gulab jamun. Indian chefs don dey experiment with di dessert, creating new shapes and flavors like red velvet and chocolate baklava. Some even make baklava cheesecake and biscuits.
Baklava don find space for India sweet culture, and e no look like say e go disappear anytime soon. As Mary Isin talk, di skill to make baklava wey thin pass coin dey show di craftsmanship wey Indians dey appreciate. Truly, baklava don become part of India sweet story.
SOURCE: TRT World
