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Old 06-28-2007, 06:46 PM
 
253 posts, read 1,054,668 times
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Is anyone here a lover of baklava?

I adore Middle Eastern baklava the most (Armenian/Turkish/etc).

I haven't explored much of Greek baklava, but what I've tasted so far hasn't impressed me. The baklava tends to be more like apple strudel or small pieces of apple-cinnamon turnovers, but I am thinking perhaps I just haven't had really good Greek baklava…at the right place.

I find that Middle Eastern baklava is made more often with honey as syrup and it has more of an exotic taste. There’s more inclusion of nuts such as pistachios (especially), walnuts and pecans...and a lot of the pieces are often sprinkled with rosewater to give it a distinctive flavor. It has a different taste overall and I am absolutely crazy about baklava.

I've been to a few places that specialize in making Middle Eastern pastries which includes baklava, but so far my favorite place to go is a small chain called the Baklava Factory. They have a few locations within LA County…and I’ve been to 2 of the 3 locations.

They have a website, so they allow orders to be made online and will ship anywhere and within the next day for freshness.

Some of my favorite types of baklava are:

-Baklava with Pistachio
-Baklava with Walnut
-Balloorieh
-Bird’s Nest with Pistachio
-Baklava Fingers
-Burma
-Plain Baklava
-Kol-ou-Shkor
-Basma


The next step involves making baklava when I have the time to plan for it. I've always wanted to try.
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Old 06-28-2007, 07:49 PM
 
Location: Colorado, Denver Metro Area
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I like baklava but cannot call my self an expert. I know there are different types, but that is about it.
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Old 06-28-2007, 08:33 PM
 
Location: Houston, TX
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I love baklava... especially with pistachios.

AsymptoticFaery - Are you middle eastern?
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Old 06-28-2007, 08:35 PM
 
Location: Las Vegas
14,229 posts, read 29,970,145 times
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I love this stuff too! Lots of places that make it commercially cut too many corners to save time. Made right, it's very labor intensive but the taste is wonderful.

I've made it and it's a days work. I use a syrup made with honey, citrus juice and orange/lemon zest with a stick of cinnamon. You boil it on the stove while the baklava is baking. Working with phyllo isn't hard, it just takes practice.
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Old 06-28-2007, 09:14 PM
 
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Baklavas are yummmmmmmmmmy! I'm no expert but when I see them around, I'll order it!
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Old 06-28-2007, 10:32 PM
 
Location: California
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I am Chinese but love Baklavas,I have tried a few,loved it.Didn't know there were so many varieties
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Old 06-29-2007, 02:20 AM
 
253 posts, read 1,054,668 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DCNative View Post
I love baklava... especially with pistachios.
Yes and I love when the baklava is finished off by sprinkling shredded pistachios on top of the batches.

Quote:
Originally Posted by DCNative View Post
AsymptoticFaery - Are you middle eastern?
No, I'm just someone who appreciates Middle Eastern styled baklava.


Mmmmm...look at the yummy baklava below. OK now I am getting cravings. LOL
Attached Thumbnails
Baklava-baklava.jpg   Baklava-pistachiobaklava.jpg  
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Old 06-29-2007, 07:04 AM
 
Location: in the southwest
13,396 posts, read 44,955,354 times
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I am not big on sweets, but man I love baklava.
I am only familiar with Greek baklava, and really don't know much about the ingredients. I just like to eat it.
In Denver I was good friends with a Greek guy who owned a Greek grocery store, once a year he would donate food to my preschool class so we could try different foods.
He would always give me an entire two foot tray of baklava. His mom made it.
Mmmm. Good times.
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Old 06-29-2007, 09:20 AM
 
4,271 posts, read 15,234,354 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cil View Post
I am not big on sweets, but man I love baklava.
I thought that line was funny b'c I think baklavas are super sweet, IMO! That's why I order it - when I need a really good sweet-fix! It tastes "naturally" sweet and not just "sugary" sweet but I could just be fooling myself!

AsymptoticFaery - man, I saw the pictures and it made my mouth water!
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Old 06-29-2007, 09:31 AM
 
Location: South Bay Native
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Excellent thread - excellent pictures. I grew up in a household where my dad would make this religiously, even though we asren't middle eastern. The Ottoman Empire ruled in the region my parents hail from for over 150 years, so some things just stuck around. The version my dad made was with ground walnuts, and they were sprinkled on each sheet as he layered it up.

My sister made some for our last get-together and it was even better than my dad's - I'll ask her for the recipe when she gets back from her trip to Europe and will post it on this thread for anyone wanting to give it a try. If you use store-bought phyllo dough this version of baklava shouldn't take more than an hour's worth of prep, and maybe an hour or two of slow baking.
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