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Baklava, the iconic sweet pastry, has a history as multilayered as the flaky dessert itself. While the debate over its true origins rages on, the sweet treat's story may reach back to the 8th century BCE and the Assyrians. They created a precursor to baklava by layering bread dough with chopped nuts and honey, then baking the concoction in wood-burning ovens. Over time, various versions of this dessert found their way to the shores of Greece. The 3rd-century CE cookbook "Deipnosophistae," often regarded as the oldest surviving cookbook, offers a recipe for "gastrin," also known as Cretan "Glutton Cake," which seems to hint at the arrival of the baklava we know today.
This ancient recipe, attributed to Chrysippus of Tyana, one of antiquity's leading dessert experts, involves combining chopped nuts, boiled honey, and poppy and sesame seeds into a paste, which is then layered between thin, rectangular sheets of dough. At some point, ancient Greek cooks began using thinner sheets of pastry, or "phyllo" (Greek for "leaf"), bringing them closer to the baklava we enjoy today.
However, it was the Ottomans who elevated this dessert in their palace kitchens and helped spread it far and wide. Today, baklava is cherished throughout the Balkans, the eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East, and North Africa.
Quality is key in any baklava recipe, emphasizing good-quality nuts, aromatic butter, a well-balanced syrup, fresh spices, and fine pastry. Most traditional Greek baklava recipes incorporate almonds and/or walnuts, cinnamon, clove, clarified butter, phyllo kroustas (thin Greek pastry), and syrup made with honey. Sometimes, orange peel or juice is added to the syrup for extra flavor. While pistachio nuts are popular in Greece, they're not commonly used in Greek baklava but are more prevalent in Turkish, Lebanese, and many Middle Eastern recipes.
Across Greece, various regions have given different names to baklava variations, such as "masourakia" from Chios, "zournadakia" from Crete, "samousades" from Lakonia, "pourakia" from Rhodes, or "baklavou" from Lesbos. Many of these are traditionally offered at engagement celebrations, weddings, Christmas, and New Year's for good luck. A Greek folk legend even suggests that baklava should be made with 33 phyllo layers as a reference to the length of Christ's life.
For baklava in Athens, there are several great options. One standout choice is the Turkish-style baklava kuru from Belle Vue, a legendary pastry shop in Nea Smyrni. They use pistachios from the island of Aegina, layers of phyllo, and a combination of high-quality sheep's and goat's milk butter, resulting in a slightly drier texture ("kuru" means dry in Turkish).
Maxim, also located in Nea Smyrni, offers both pistachio and walnut baklava. The shop has an air of nostalgia and transports you to another time, reflecting the family's history in Istanbul.
In Kalamaki, Palet, a pastry shop owned by the Kordelidis family, serves traditional Turkish baklava. A favorite is the "Baklava Sultan," made with ground pistachios, featuring a softer texture and a thicker sugar syrup.
For an authentic Greek version, consider Metropolitikon in central Athens. They offer Yiannena-style baklava made with chopped almonds, two types of pastry, and a sugar-honey syrup. You can also find baklavou from Lesbos island, featuring many layers of thin pastry interspersed with finely chopped almonds, drenched in pure honey and orange syrup.
Afoi Asimakopouloi, a third-generation family-owned pastry shop in Exarchia, is famous for its homemade dairy products, particularly yogurt and butter. The quality of their butter shines through in their Greek-style baklava, available with almonds or walnuts, both enriched with the delightful fragrance of cinnamon and clove. It's a testament to the enduring tradition of creating baklava, each bite filled with nostalgia and satisfaction.
