Baqlawa
/bækˈlɑːwə/noun
A rich pastry made from layers of thin dough, nuts, and syrup or honey, especially in Arab cuisines.
Did you know?Baqlawa is the Arabic form of baklava, whose ultimate origin remains disputed; proposed connections to Turkish and Mongolian words meaning “to tie” or “wrap” are not firmly established.
Etymological Timeline
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
بَقْلَاوَة (baqlāwa)
“A layered nut pastry; the Arabic form of the name.”
Ottoman Period
Ottoman Turkish
baklava
“A layered pastry prepared with thin sheets of dough, nuts, and syrup.”
17th Century
Ottoman Turkish
baklava
“A courtly and festive pastry documented in Ottoman culinary culture.”
18th–19th Century
Greek
μπακλαβάς (baklavás)
“Baklava, borrowed from Ottoman Turkish.”
19th Century
English
baklava
“The pastry adopted into English culinary vocabulary.”
Modern English
English
baqlawa
“An Arabic transliteration variant of baklava.”