Adnan Yılmaz promotes Gaziantep baklava in the United States

Adnan Yılmaz, a former software engineer from Gaziantep, has transitioned into a professional baklava maker to promote Turkish culinary heritage in the United States. After studying software engineering in Istanbul and pursuing a master's degree in business in the US, Yılmaz decided to leave his technical career to export and sell authentic Gaziantep baklava.

Yılmaz stated that his motivation was driven by a desire to protect the cultural identity of baklava, noting that in the US, the dessert is often misidentified as Greek. His business has reached high-profile clients and events, including Elon Musk’s SpaceX in Los Angeles and an organization hosted by Paris Hilton.

His social media presence grew after a video of him explaining baklava production in English was mistaken for artificial intelligence. Yılmaz expressed that he has no regrets about leaving software engineering, emphasizing the importance of pursuing work with passion and successfully introducing his culture to a global audience.