The ‘baklava’ word came into the English group from Turkish. As mentioned in the earlier blog, we don’t know how baklava’s history or journey is coming into our lives today, but let us tell you some exciting things about baklava. The version we are considering was developed in the Topkapi palace, where the sultan presented the trays of baklava in the ceremonial processions every 15th of Ramadan. We have discussed this story in the last blog if you want to know more.
Talking more about baklava, the oldest recipe of it is in the Chinese cookbook composed in 1330 when it was the Mongol dynasty with the name güllach. It is now also in Turkish cuisine. Another olden recipe from the Greek Island Crete, and this recipe shares similarities with today’s modern baklava. There is much more to add to this, but we will discuss it in our upcoming blogs.
Today, baklava is part of various cultures and is a famous dish made on special occasions.
But there are regions where it is a significant sweet to be at weddings and taken into the church before ceremonies. It has also become a part of Christian celebrations like Easter and Christmas, where it is prepared with 40 phyllo dough sheets which depict the 40 days of lent.
Baklava today holds the stature of a traditional Middle Eastern Rosh Hashannah and Purim treat but is also relished at various celebrations over the year.
The baklava origin is a great matter of dispute; reason?
Baklava was the chosen dish representing Cyprus in Sweet Europe of Café Europe’s cultural initiative in 2006. This broke ‘the baklava war’, initiated by the proclamation ‘Baklava is Turkish, we will not allow the Greek Cypriots to feed it to the world’.
And thus began the great argument of baklava’s disputed origin.
Gaziantep is a city in Türkiye (formerly Turkey) that is very popular for its baklava and is widely considered the origin city of this desert. The dispute took such a road that in 2008, the Turkish patent office registered a geographical indication for Antep Baklava ( a variety of baklava).
So as mentioned earlier, baklava today is associated with many special occasions and celebrations. It is a delightful delicacy served on Holidays like Eid al-fit and Eid al-Adha, and Christian festivals in Greece, etc.
It has also become a part of Family gatherings, religious observances, and even weddings. So, baklava today has become a versatile dessert that can be enjoyed on multiple occasions, both formal and informal, and is a great way to share special moments with loved ones.
Now we know baklava is a perfect delight for special occasions and can also be an ideal gift. So here are some ideas for how you can gift baklava:
A baklava Basket: You can buy or make a variety of Baklavas and put them together creatively in a beautifully wrapped basket. Also, add more similar food items and a variety of flavourful content to make it a more delightful gift.
Making a themed Gift basket: You can create a themed baklava gift basket and add various items related to the theme. Example – A middle eastern treat basket includes spices, tea, coffee, or other food items like Turkish delight , nougat, or ma’amoul.
The Platter idea: Get the Baklava, put it on a beautiful platter, and wrap it carefully with a ribbon. This will make an impressive presentation, and the platter can be reused.
A personalized pack: Most people love it when you gift them something personalized. You can make customized labels, messages, and other expressions like cards or unique designs and add them to the gift, making the facility more special.
Baking your baklava: A homemade baklava made by your most loved or your own developed recipe, which you would want others to try, is another good idea when gifting baklava. This is a very thoughtful idea and becomes a personalized effortful gift for the recipient.
So, if you want to try this idea, we can help you with your planning and design. Even if you have a unique view of gifting, we can also try to help you out with it; give us a call in +918296860013
Remember, People always remember how you made them feel, so with an excellent delightful creative gift like baklava, make them happy and memorable.