Baqlāwa
/bɑːqˈlɑː.wə/noun
A rich pastry made from layers of filo dough, chopped nuts, and syrup or honey, commonly known in English as baklava.
Did you know?The dessert’s name is often connected with Arabic baqlā, “vegetable,” but the exact origin remains disputed; Ottoman palace kitchens helped standardize its layered form.
Etymological Timeline
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
بَقْلَة (baqla)
“A plant or vegetable; sometimes proposed as a possible source of the pastry’s name, though the connection is uncertain.”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
بَقْلَاوَة (baqlāwa)
“A form used in Arabic for the layered nut pastry.”
Ottoman Period
Ottoman Turkish
baklava
“The pastry name used in Ottoman Turkish culinary culture.”
15th–16th Century
Ottoman Turkish
baklava
“A refined layered pastry associated with elite and palace cuisine.”
17th–19th Century
European languages
baklava / baqlāwa
“The pastry name spreading through European descriptions of Ottoman food.”
Modern English
English
baklava
“A sweet layered pastry of filo, nuts, and syrup; baqlāwa is an Arabic transliteration.”