baklava

American  

[bah-kluh-vah, bah-kluh-vah] / ˈbɑ kləˌvɑ, ˌbɑ kləˈvɑ /

Or baklawa

noun

1. a Near Eastern pastry made of many layers of paper-thin dough with a filling of ground nuts, baked and then drenched in a syrup of honey and sometimes rosewater.

---

baklava British  

/ ˈbɑːkləˌvɑː /

noun

1. a rich cake of Middle Eastern origin consisting of thin layers of pastry filled with nuts and honey

---

Etymology

Origin of baklava

Borrowed into English from Turkish around 1815–25

Explanation

Baklava is a delicious, flaky dessert made with thin sheets of dough soaked in honey and layered with nuts. You can usually find baklava on the menu at Greek and Turkish restaurants. Baklava is made by layering sheets of the unleavened dough called phyllo, brushing each with butter and honey, tucking chopped nuts in between, and baking it. Baklava is Turkish, possibly from a Mongolian root meaning "to wrap up or pile up." Baklava is part of the cuisine of many Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and Central Asian countries, but it probably originated in Istanbul during the Ottoman Empire. It's a sweet, rich way to end a tasty meal.

Example Sentences

“Throughout the Middle East, cardamom scents rice pudding; baklava; and, perhaps most important, qahwah, or cardamom-spiced coffee,” writes Steve Dunn for America’s Test Kitchen.

From Salon • Jan. 25, 2026

After the hummus and seven vegetable salads, the meal unfolded with sweet-and-salty pistachio-dusted halloumi baklava, tender beef shashlik over creamy black-garlic toum, and a guava sorbet sundae.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 6, 2025

She said she later also discovered similarities between her baklava recipe and Ms Bellamy's, offering a side-by-side comparison in a statement on RecipeTin Eats.

From BBC • Apr. 30, 2025

There are also wraps on the menu, plus a small case with grab-and-go items like stuffed grape leaves and baklava.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 24, 2024

A pleasant feeling buzzed in his chest, like a hive of happy bees that made the honey for Leyla’s baklava.

From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman