Since 1871: The Story of 150 Years of Baklava Craft

Since 1871 is a Turkish baklava bakery founded in Istanbul in 1871 — over 150 years of continuous craft, passed down through generations of the same family. The name on the box isn't marketing; it's a date. Every tray is still hand-layered, still baked fresh in Istanbul, and still made the slow way: 40 sheets of phyllo, real Antep pistachios, clarified butter, and syrup timed to the minute.

1871, Istanbul: where it began

In 1871, Istanbul was the capital of the Ottoman Empire, and its pastry kitchens set the standard for the sweet world. That year, a baklava bakery opened its doors in the city — and it never closed them. Through empire, republic, wars, and the reinvention of an entire country, the ovens stayed lit and the recipes stayed in the family.

Five generations later, the bakery still works in Istanbul. The address changed; the method didn't. When we say "since 1871," we mean the craft has been practiced continuously, by hand, in the same city, for more than a century and a half.

Five generations of the same craft (no shortcuts)

Baklava has no secrets, but it has no shortcuts either. The recipe is wheat flour, water, nuts, butter, sugar, and lemon — ingredients a child could list. The craft is everything else: rolling phyllo so thin you can read through it, laying down 40 sheets without tearing, grinding Antep pistachios to exactly the right texture, clarifying the butter, and pouring the syrup at the precise moment when hot pastry meets hot syrup and the layers drink it in without going soggy.

Each generation learned by standing next to the previous one. That kind of knowledge doesn't transfer through manuals; it transfers through hands. It's why a 150-year-old bakery tastes different from a 15-month-old one.

What "since 1871" means in the box today (ingredients, method)

Heritage is only worth something if it changes what's in the box. Here's what it changes in ours:

• Antep pistachios, not generic green nuts — the variety with the deepest flavor and color, from southeastern Turkey.
• Clarified butter, which gives the clean, rich taste that regular butter can't.
• Hand-rolled phyllo, roughly 40 layers per tray — thin enough to shatter, never doughy.
• Syrup with lemon, cooked to the right density so it preserves the pastry naturally for 6 months without a single preservative.
• Baked fresh in Istanbul, in small batches, then sealed and ribbon-wrapped — never warehoused for months.

The Pistachio Classic Baklava (14 pieces / 500 g per pack) is the purest expression of this: the recipe the bakery is known for, unchanged in its essentials since the 19th century.

From Istanbul to the world (how the bakery ships globally now)

For most of its history, you had to come to Istanbul to taste it. That changed when the bakery learned to do what once seemed impossible: ship fresh baklava worldwide without freezing it or loading it with preservatives. The answer turned out to be the old one — syrup is a natural preserver, and a properly sealed box keeps baklava at peak freshness for 6 months at room temperature.

Today the bakery ships from Istanbul to the world: EU orders are fulfilled from the Deventer, Netherlands warehouse; US orders ship from Turkey and New Jersey; Japan, China, Hong Kong, and Australia are served from Turkey. Shipping is free — included in the product price — and every gift-eligible product arrives in ribbon-wrapped packaging, ready to hand over.

Why heritage matters in a pastry

Anyone can buy the same six ingredients. What 150 years buys you is judgment: knowing by touch when the phyllo is thin enough, by smell when the butter is clarified enough, by sound when the baked tray is crisp enough. It's the difference between a recipe and a craft.

Heritage also buys you accountability. A bakery that has carried its name since 1871 can't afford a bad box — the name is the promise. That's why every order still leaves Istanbul fresh, sealed, and ribbon-wrapped, whether it's going across the street or across the ocean.

Frequently asked questions

Is Since 1871 really from 1871?

Yes. The bakery was founded in Istanbul in 1871 and has practiced the baklava craft continuously since — over 150 years, passed down through generations of the same family.

Where is Since 1871 baklava made?

Every box is baked fresh in Istanbul, Turkey. EU orders ship from the Deventer, Netherlands warehouse; US orders from Turkey and New Jersey; the rest of the world from Turkey.

What makes heritage baklava different from ordinary baklava?

Ingredients and judgment: Antep pistachios, clarified butter, 40 hand-rolled phyllo layers, and syrup timed to the minute — techniques refined over five generations rather than reverse-engineered.

How long does the baklava stay fresh during shipping?

Every sealed, ribbon-wrapped box stays fresh for 6 months at room temperature — comfortably covering international shipping with weeks to spare.