Entry tags:

baklava, dessert, greece, pastries, travel

Baklava!

That's not oil. That's honey!

Greece has been enjoying a lot of press lately, mainly because of two films that have been released recently: Mamma Mia! and Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. Both films dazzled viewers with the most picturesque, postcard-pretty sights of Santorini Island. But aside from indulging in the ridiculously beautiful landscapes of the Greece, don't forget to drop by one of the bakeries. Pastries in Greece are insanely delicious. Blame it on the copious amounts of honey, or the fresh nuts, but a trip to Greece isn't complete without baklava and cookies.

I fell in love with the country, even harder than I did with the food. Or vice versa, I can't decide. Greece is a country steeped in history and art! The sea is a blanket of sapphires! There are actual ruins on display in Metro stations! And they have the best pastries!

I couldn't stop eating baklava and the other pastries we bought at the shops. Baklava is a traditional baked Mediterranean dessert (it can be traced back to Greece and Turkey) composed of alternating layers of phyllo dough, an assortment of nuts, and honey. Baklava has a crispy, outer layer (because of the very thin phyllo dough) which serves as a delicate case for the gooey honey inside. The test of good baklava is if honey magically oozes out when you bite into one. It's only after a few seconds of chewing when you get to the crushed nuts. The best baklava I tried was at a little shop in Arachova.



We took a tour to Delphi, and on the way back to Athens part of the tour was a pit stop in Arachova. Arachova is a small, tourist town atop a mountain. There's only one road that cuts through the town, and in the winter it is packed with avid ski fans. Houses and establishments are mandated by law to look the same: from the shutters to the paint.



I definitely got a kick out of buying baklava from a small shop, in a small town, with the storekeeper communicating with us via a calculator. I don't think it could get any more authentic than that.

One thing I noticed about baklava (as well as their other pastries) is that it doesn't go bad quickly. Could it be the honey? We had baklava in a foil-lined container for 3 days (not placed inside the fridge) and it tasted the same. Amazing.

I must admit that I'm not really familiar with the nuances of Greek pastry. In Greece, sometimes all you can do is point, eat and hope for the best. It's a good thing that that's all you can expect in Greek food: the best.