In the Mediterranean and the Middle East, baklava is one of the most popular and well known sweet treats. There are a lot of different ways to make it but the essential parts are the same: very thin flaky phyllo pastry, a sweet filling of chopped nuts, and some honey or syrup. The dessert has been around for centuries, but where exactly it came is the cause of many disagreements. Various countries have disagreed over who created baklava, with most people siding with either Greece or Turkey. Both of these two countries, and even other countries have a long history of eating and making baklava.

At the end of the day we don’t actually know where baklava came from. It’s likely that baklava was an evolution of a bread dish that was simple and easy for many people to make. Throughout the centuries as empires fell, merged, and grew into new countries, the traditions from Greece, Rome, Byzantine, and Persia blended together to eventually lead to baklava as we know it. Food has no borders, especially when it comes to Mediterranean food.

A few types of baklava:

Türkiye the most common kind is pistachio baklava. It’s typically cut into squares or small rectangles and sprinkled with pistachio as well as chopped pistachios inside the layers of dough.

Ceviz or Walnut baklava has a more bitter flavor than pistachio, it’s less sweet. When eating multiple at once it is a nice balance to many of the sweeter forms of baklava.

Kuru baklava is a dry baklava, without the syrupy sugar water doused over it. This allows the flavors of the nuts to come to the forefront as the filo itself is already sweet. Instead of cooked in the light syrup, it’s covered in a thick syrup which is what makes this baklava sweeter and drier.

Bülbül Yuvası is a baklava whose name means “nightingale’s nest” because it is circular in shape and has a hollow interior like a donut. However instead of being empty the center is stuffed with pistachios or walnuts then covered in syrup sugar water. This is a tougher consistency than other kinds of baklava, it can feel almost like a full meal rather than a lighter dessert when served with walnuts!

Here at Caravan Kebab our filo pastry layers have butter, walnut, almond, honey, and cinnamon.

Our menu is a rich compilation of some of the tastiest, most authentic dishes hailing from India, the Mediterranean region, and Europe. Chef Shahzad has curated a wonderful selection of dishes made with the freshest local ingredients available. Chef Shahzad took all that he learned from chefs around the world to create the visually and deliciously stunning Caravan Kebab restaurant. If you’re looking for a tasty meal that brings together the best flavors from around the world look no further than our menu here at Caravan Kebab! 

We invite you to come to dine with us at Caravan Kebab. We have many great offerings. Be sure to try our baklava and other sweet treats on our menu. food when you dine with us in Edmonds, WA. Or, place an order for takeout and get a free dessert on the house! We look forward to serving you soon.