Baklava was brought (along many others) by the Ottomans, and is prepared differently depending on the regions and cities. In Iranian cuisine, a drier version of baklava is cooked and presented in smaller diamond-shaped cuts flavored with rose water. The cities of and are famous for their baklava, which is widely distributed in Iran. Persian baklava uses a combination of chopped almonds and pistachios spiced with cardamom and a rose water-scented syrup and is lighter than other Middle Eastern versions. Baklava Baklava (, , or ; ) is a rich, sweet dessert pastry made of layers of filo filled with chopped
Turkish cuisine of Istanbul, Bursa, Izmir, and rest of the Asia Minor region inherits many elements of Ottoman court cuisine, with a lighter use of spices, a preference for rice over bulgur, koftes and a wider availability of vegetable stews ("türlü"), eggplant, stuffed dolmas and fish. The cuisine of the Black Sea Region uses fish extensively, especially the Black Sea anchovy ("hamsi") and includes maize dishes. The cuisine of the southeast (e.g. Urfa, Gaziantep, and Adana) is famous for its variety of kebabs, "mezes" and dough-based desserts such as "baklava", "şöbiyet", "kadayıf", and "künefe". Especially in the western parts of Turkey, where