Baklava is one of the sweetest, nuttiest, and butteriest desserts out there, and when well made, this pastry is so flakey, syrupy, and crumbly, it’s almost impossible to just have one bite. While you may be familiar with baklava, if you’re from the United States, your perception of the pastry is probably quite limited.

Baklava, also known as baqlawa or baklawa, is typically made out of phyllo pastry layered with ground nuts, butter, and syrup. However, you may not know that baklava has many different variations, ingredients, and flavor profiles depending on where it is made, not only regionally but from family to family based on the recipe.

The only truly common element in baklava is the use of butter-layered phyllo, nuts, and dousing syrup, but otherwise, you’re free to make the recipe your own. Some common variations include using walnuts instead of pistachios or opting for both, incorporating citrus fruit into the syrup, or rolling the pastry into a cylinder.