'Gourmet Baklava': A home of Turkish delights in Hyderabad
The Assyrians, who had been preparing Baklava early as the 8th century B.C., began by layering unleavened flatbread with chopped nuts in between, drenching it in honey, and then baking it in primitive wood-burning ovens
By Amrutha Kosuru Published on 12 March 2022 10:48 AM IST
The Story of baklava - an authentic Turkish delight (sweet) began long ago. The Assyrians, who had been preparing it as early as the 8th century B.C., began by layering unleavened flatbread with chopped nuts in between, drenching it in honey, and then baking it in primitive wood-burning ovens.
Baklava is nothing short of royalty and now, you can grab this authentic Baklava, rich with dry fruits, at Gourmet Baklava in Hyderabad. Gourmet Baklava, a sweet shop that serves Turkish and middle-eastern sweets is possibly the country's first shop to do so.
The modern-day baklava went through several transitions as the history of the area kept on changing. Middle East, Eastern Mediterranean, Balkans, Caucasia Turks, Arabs, Greeks, Armenians, who introduced baklava as their national dessert, were all part of the Ottoman empire once.
It would be reasonable to conclude that the Making of baklava has been seen as a Mastership on its own because of the importance given to baklava in these ottoman empires.
Gourmet Baklava was established five years ago by Imtiaz Ali Siddiqui. After spending more than two decades studying and working in the middle-east, Imtiaz became fond of Turkish sweets. So, when he came back home to Hyderabad, it was natural for him to miss them. "And I began Gourmet Baklava with a simple idea- to introduce authentic, exotic Turkish sweets to Indians," he said.
All the ingredients used to make the rich delicacies at Gourmet Baklava are sourced from various places across the world. Their dry fruits come from Turkey, Jordan, UAE, and other places. Other raw products such as sweeteners, ghee pillow layers, and more are manufactured in-house.
While various kinds of Baklava are one of the most sought-after items on their menu, Kunafa has been a favorite of youngsters. "Kunafa is a traditional middle-eastern delicacy that is made using cheese, milk, dough, and more," Imtiaz explained. "At our store, we have a newer variant in addition to the Cheese Kunafa- Nutella Kunafa and Blueberry Kunafa. And the Nutella Kunafa is particularly preferred by youngsters," he said.
The premium, exotic Turkish delights are one of the most sought-after in the country. With the shelf life of these sweets being a month, they can be shipped both within and outside the country.
No sweet tooth?
Gourmet Baklava also serves traditional Turkish Coffee and Tea. And they serve in rich, aesthetic Turkish cups. Made and served in a piping hot copper coffee cezve (a small long-handles put with pouring lip designed specifically to make Turkish Coffee), their coffee is milkless, finely-grounded, and extremely rich in taste.
Their tea is milkless too and they have an exotic flavor and serve various kinds such as Hibiscus Tea, Pomegranate tea, and much more.
