Baklava: A Sultan's Sweet Symbol of PowerThis pastry was a reward for an empire's elite soldiers.

From the show

Food History Unpacked

Every layer of this famous dessert tells a story of ancient empires and imperial might. While its origins trace to Mesopotamia, modern baklava was perfected in the kitchens of the Ottoman Topkapi Palace. It became a key part of a grand annual ceremony where the Sultan presented trays of the pastry to his elite Janissary troops, cementing it as a relic of imperial history.