Baklava comes in various shapes and varieties. Credit: Benreis, CC BY-SA 4.0/WikipediaGreeks and Turks have been at each other’s throats for centuries over many different things — but a rivalry seldom mentioned revolves around the origins of baklava.
The history of this scrumptious delicacy is quite controversial, and unfortunately not very well documented.
Many ethnic groups such as the Greeks, Turks, and Middle Easterners claim baklava as their own and prepare it in their own way.
The “Baklava Conflict” has been simmering for centuries, but it erupted into full-blown war in 2006, when Greek Cypriots decided to call baklava their own. A definite sacrilege according to the Turks!
Turkey, as an aspiring member of the EU, even took the issue to Brussels. Eventually, in 2013, the EU awarded the “protected status” prize to the Turkish Gaziantep baklava, shuttering the honeyed dreams of Greeks worldwide.
