Greece- BaklavaHistoryThis will cover the Greek version of Baklava, but first I must start with the 8th century BC of the Assyrian Empire. Where it is said that baklava was initially made up of layers of dough with nuts and honey poured on top, and then baked. Baklava was originally considered a luxury only for the wealthy and as such was only cooked on special occasions until the mid-19th century. Assyrian land was located in northern Mesopotamia (BetBasoo 2013) and covered parts of what we now call Syria, Iraq, Türkiye, and Iran. The Assyrian Empire eventually covered an area from Egypt to Anatolia and from Cyprus to the Caspian. The Assyrian Empire fell in 610 BC to the Babylonians and Medes. Babylon would eventually fall to Alexander the Great. This spread of the Greek empire from Greece to India brought many different dishes back to Greece. One of these dishes was baklava. The main improvement the Greeks made to this wonderful dish was to create a way to roll out the dough as thin as a leaf (NA n.d.). The Assyrian dough recipe for baklava had a rougher, bread-like texture. The Greeks coined the term “Phyllo” which means leaf. Soon the smell of baklava filled the homes of the wealthy, as baklava was prepared for all kinds of special occasions. As the baklava recipe spread across different cultures, they began adding their own touches. The Armenians were right on the ancient spice and silk trade route, and have the merit of being the first to add cinnamon and cloves to the recipe. It is said that the Arabs incorporated rose water and cardamom. Yet only the wealthy, from the Persian Empire to the Roman elite, until the fall of the Byzantine empires in 1453 AD, could afford such a wonderful... medium of paper... symbol of Greek culture and national identity. These include Souvlaki, thick coffee, moussaka, baklava and resonant wine. Taverns were a social meeting place for men. Over the past three decades, eating out has grown in popularity, increasing the number of restaurants and variety of restaurants to choose from. Religion Greeks prepare baklava with 33 layers of phyllo dough to represent the life of Christ. Some people also make forty sheets of phyllo dough to represent the forty days of Lent. References: BetBasoo, P. (2013) A Brief History of the Assyrians Retrieved August 5, 2014, from http://www.aina.org/ brief.htmlN.D. (nd) The History of Baklava Retrieved August 5, 2014, from http://www.kitchenproject.com/history/Baklava.htmSutton, SB (nd) Greece Retrieved August 5, 2014, from http://www.everyculture. com/Ge-It/Grecia.html