Katmer is a traditional Turkish dessert based on very thin dough, pistachios, and thick cream. At first glance, it might seem like a variation on the more famous baklava, but it is something completely different.
While baklava is often dense, syrupy, and prepared in advance, katmer is always freshly baked, hot, and crisp. It is a crispy dough “envelope” that breaks under the pressure of a fork and reveals its creamy, deep green interior. On the plate, it looks like a golden square sprinkled with crushed pistachios, literally calling to be eaten immediately.
The preparation of katmer is an impressive spectacle. The baker, called a katmerci, starts with a small bun of dough, which he rolls out and then stretches and rotates in the air until a sheet as thin as cigarette paper is formed (remember the art of Italian pizzaioli masters?). The dough must be so translucent that you could read a newspaper through it. Kaymak (thick cream) is applied to this stretched sheet, and it is generously sprinkled with sugar and crushed pistachios. The folding phase follows, where the edges of the dough are folded over the filling like a letter envelope, creating several layers of dough on top of each other. The resulting packet is baked on both sides until golden. The heat causes the sugar to dissolve and combine with the kaymak, while the dough acquires its characteristic crispness.
Katmer is served immediately after baking. The chef usually cuts it into smaller squares to make it easier to eat. Due to its richness, katmer is often served with a glass of cold milk, which helps neutralize the sweetness, or with traditional strong Turkish tea.
I tasted katmer in a night pastry shop (does that sound strange?) in the city of Konya while waiting for a night connection to Cappadocia. It was past midnight; the city streets were empty due to the unusual cold. The pastry shop, specializing in katmer and künefe, acted like a lighthouse; heat and the smell of butter radiated from within. I paid 280 TRY (6.80 EUR) for one portion of fresh katmer here.
Bon appétit!
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