For early traders, Gaziantep was renowned for its pistachios, and that reputation continues today. The city sits in the center of Turkey’s main pistachio-growing region and even hosts the International Pistachio Festival of Culture and Arts each September.
Those same traders also developed a deep taste for baklava, the multilayered sweet pastry enjoyed across much of Central Asia and the Middle East. Over time baklava became an important part of local food culture, found in cafés and bakeries throughout the region.
Near the end of the 19th century, someone combined the region’s pistachios with its baklava, creating what became known as Antep baklava. This variation—rich with freshly roasted, finely chopped pistachios—grew into a culinary hallmark. So prized is Antep baklava that visitors come from all over Turkey to sample it in Gaziantep, where more than 500 establishments specialize in making and selling the pastry.
One well-known local shop, Fethullah Usta Baklava, ships freshly made baklava from Gaziantep to its Istanbul branch each morning. Still, many enthusiasts insist that baklava is best enjoyed where it is made: in Gaziantep itself, where the combination of fresh ingredients, skilled pastry-making, and local atmosphere gives the dessert its fullest expression.