Artopolis Bakery

23-18 31 StreetAstoria, NY 11105

(718) 728-8484

Baklava? What is that? It was the first question I asked during a class trip to Astoria, Queens. On the day of the trip, we made a last stop at Artopolis. It is a traditional bakery that offers a variety of fine quality Greek pastries, cakes, bread and cookies. My classmate who is of Greek descent was kind enough to explain what Baklava is. I said it sounds interesting and definitely worth a try, so I purchased an almond baklava. Originated from the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century, Baklava is a rich, sweet pastry, made with layers of phyllo dough sheets. It is filled with chopped nuts, including pistachios and walnuts. It is sweetened and held together with syrup or honey.

After sampling the baklava, I found it to be tasty but also overly sweet and sticky due to the drizzled syrup or honey on the outer layer. There was a mild textured crunchiness from the almonds and moistness on the inside. Because of the sweetness I took small bites at a time until it was finished and immediately had a bottle of water right after.

Baklava is possibly one of the sweetest desserts you will ever taste because it is filled with butter and sugar with a final touch of syrup or honey. Although I have a sweet tooth, I have to admit baklava is extremely sweet for my taste and it is not a pastry I will consume everyday.