Arabyola Bakes Baklava



Arabyola hosted an end of fall semester celebration where they served baklava. Baklava is a popular dessert in the Middle East, originating in Turkey. It is made with phyllo dough, filled with chopped nuts, and topped with a sweet syrup or honey. I have never tried baklava prior to this event. I have seen a few videos of people making baklava and picture of it, but never had the opportunity to try it.

Baklavas

Kitaa Cashew Bite (top) and
 Bird's Nest with pistachio (bottom)
There were several types of baklavas served at the event. In the large box, there were Kitaa Cashew Bites, Baklava Cashew Bites, Bokaj Cashew Florets, Bird’s Nest with pistachio, Baklava Finger Cashew, and Kol W Shkor Cashew rolls. I tried the Bird’s Nest with pistachio and the Kitaa Cashew Bites. I immediately tasted the honey that coated them as I bit into them. They phyllo dough created a flaky texture which reminded me of a croissant. 






I tried a few other baklavas too. One of them reminded me of a sandwich and had pistachios in between each layer of phyllo dough. This one surprised me because it didn’t’ look like the other baklavas, but it still had the flaky texture. I tried another baklava that looked like a Nature Valley granola bar. It had almonds, cashews, and almonds with the phyllo dough as the bottom layer. There was an alternative baklava offered for those who were allergic to nuts and consisted of cheese. Dr. Inas Hassan, the professor who coordinated the event, recommended that we heat up this baklava so that the cheese could melt. I did heat up the nut-free baklava once I returned to my dorm and it was tasty.

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