[Sca-cooks] Back to baklava.

[Johnna Holloway]

We always return to this subject, don't we?
If the archives were available we could go all go back and review the 
discussions
of 2001 and 2002. Only part of this is in the Florilegium files.
A couple of newer items that aren't in the Florilegium files. Most of 
this came off
MK Cooks and SCA Subtleties.

Think Ottoman, not Greek and turn to those sources.
from my notes--
As regards pre-1600 baklava, there is of course an original late 16th 
century early 17th century recipe included in Mary Isin’s commentary in 
the book A King’s Confectioner in the Orient. The recipe’s titled “Royal 
Baklava.”
This book is properly
Unger, Friedrich. A King's Confectioner in the Orient. Edited with a 
Commentary by Priscilla Mary Isin. Translated from the German by Maret 
Cakmak & Reneate Omerogullari. London: Kegan Paul, 2003. The Court 
Confectioner to King Otto I of Greece in the 1830’s, the author spent 
five years collecting recipes and researching traditional methods of 
sweet production in Greece and the Ottoman Empire.

The chapter in question is Chapter 17 pages 176-178 and it appears in 
the commentary section of the book.
Mary Isin notes that baklava appears in the imperial kitchen register in 
1473. The baklava-i-sultani
Royal Baklava is the recipe that she gives as being dated late 16th 
-early 17th century. It's from
a manuscript. It's long and I won't copy it out here. It is a layered 
pastry with butter, sugar and nuts that
is folded over. It's not the modern recipe. It's not filo pastry. That 
idea is straight out, ok?

****
Later I did come across this 1653 printed reference in EEBO Early 
English Books Online

And as for sugar,
there is spent an unspeakable deal of it, in the making of
Sherbets and Boclavas, which not only the Seraglio useth: but are also 
ordinary
presents from one Bashawe to another, and from one friend to another:
insomuch that it is a thing to be admired, that so great a quantity
should so suddenly be consumed.

boclavas ? Note that searching in this case on baklavas would not have 
turned up this
reference. I actually found this while looking for references on sherbets.

The book is
A description of the grand signour's seraglio or Turkish emperours court
[edited] by John Greaves. Bon, Ottaviano, 1552-1623., Withers, Robert.,
Greaves, John, 1602-1652. London: Printed 1653. There's also apparently
a 1650 edition.

Ottaviano Bon died in 1623 so the work dates from before his death.
An article in 1961's Modern Language Notes describes him as follows:
*"Ottaviano Bon* was ambassador from Venice to Spain, the Porte, and 
France successively.
He was resident as Bailo in Constantinople from 1604-1608."
****

This work in 2006 was done prior to the Midrealm Spring Coronation 
Banquet (April 2006).

I did research again at that time work on baklava, sugar works, 
sherberts, ices, desserts etc.
That feast eventually included a baklava of sorts.
It was described as Gullac- sweetened nut filled pastry (like baklava)
The menu is up at the wayback machine
http://web.archive.org/web/20060421193739/http://www.midrealm.org/rimsholt/coronation/feast.html 


I went over and helped make the actual dish that was served. Under 
Mistress Kay's direction
we made a crepe that was then layered
with ground walnuts and honey. Each pie pan contained 7-9 crepes with 
nut layers in between. The dish
was rewarmed onsite prior to being served. I gather it was quite a hit.

Hope this helps

Johnnae llyn Lewis