Turkish delight

Turkish delight, or lokum () is a family of confections based on a gel of starch and sugar. Premium varieties consist largely of chopped dates, pistachios, hazelnuts or walnuts bound by the gel; traditional varieties are often flavored with rosewater, mastic gum, bergamot orange, or lemon. Other common flavors include cinnamon and mint. The confection is often packaged and eaten in small cubes dusted with icing sugar, copra, or powdered cream of tartar to prevent clinging.

History

Turkish claims

According to the , Ali Muhiddin Hacı Bekir moved to Constantinople from his hometown Kastamonu and opened his confectionery shop in the district of Bahçekapı in 1777. He produced various kinds of candies and ''lokum'', later including a unique form of ''lokum'' made with starch and sugar.
Tim Richardson, a historian of sweets, has questioned the popular attribution of the invention of Turkish delight to Hacı Bekir, writing that "specific names and dates are often erroneously associated with the invention of particular sweets, not least for commercial reasons". Similar Arab and Persian recipes, including the use of starch and sugar, predate Bekir by several centuries. '' The Oxford Companion to Food'' states that although Bekir is often credited with the invention, there is no real evidence for it.

Iranian claims

Some sources suggest that similar features were also present in Arab and Persian cuisines. In particular, there are sources claiming that it was invented during the Safavid Iran period.

Name

The Turkish names and are derived from the Arabic word () and its plural () meaning 'morsel' and 'mouthful' and the alternative Ottoman Turkish name, ,James Redhouse, ''A Turkish and English Dictionary'', 1856, p.707. was an Arabic formulation, (), meaning 'comfort of the throat', which remains the name in formal Arabic.

In Libya, Saudi Arabia, Algeria and Tunisia it is known as , while in Kuwait it is called ; in Egypt it is called ( ) or , and in Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria ().

Although it is called "malban" in some regions, "malban" may also refer to other similar desserts, such as a type of grape fruit leather made with semolina and grape juice popular in the Levant, or Churchkhela, sometimes referred to as "jok malban" ().

Its name in various Eastern European languages comes from Ottoman Turkish () or . Its name in Greek, () shares a similar etymology with the modern Turkish and it is marketed as ''Greek Delight''. In Cyprus, where the dessert has protected geographical indication (PGI), it is also marketed as ''Cyprus Delight''. In Armenian it is called (). It is läoma ܠܥܡܐ in Assyrian. Its name in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Israel is , and derives from a very old confusion of the two names found already in Ottoman Turkish; indeed this mixed name can also be found in Turkey today. Its name in Serbo-Croatian is (), a reduced form of the same name. In Persian, it is called (). In the Indian subcontinent, a variant of it is known as '' Karachi halwa'' or '' Bombay halwa''. In Hungary it is called szultán kenyér (Sultan's bread).

In English, it was formerly alternatively known as "lumps of delight".

Around the world

Europe

Armenia

In Armenia, Turkish delight is known as lokhum (լոխում) and is used for various sweets. For example It is used to make Cigarette cookies, (Armenian: սիգարետ թխվածքաբլիթներ) which are soft cookies that are rolled into the form of a cigarette. They are filled with either lokhum, a mixture of sugar, cardamom, and walnuts, or a combination of both. The dough mainly consists of matzoon, butter, eggs, and flour. When finished the pastry gets dusted with powdered sugar.

Greece and Cyprus

In Greece, Turkish delight, known as ''loukoumi'' (), has been a popular delicacy since the 19th century or earlier, famously produced in the city of Patras ( Patrina loukoumia) as well as on the island of Syros and the northern Greek cities Thessaloniki, Serres and Komotini but elsewhere as well. Loukoumi is a common traditional treat, routinely served instead of biscuits along with coffee. In addition to the common rosewater and bergamot varieties, mastic-flavored loukoumi is available and very popular. Another sweet, similar to loukoumi, that is made exclusively in the town of Serres, is Akanés. Cyprus is the only country that has a protected geographical indication (PGI) for this product: Loukoumi made in Yeroskipou is called (''loukoumi geroskipou'').

Bulgaria

In Bulgarian, Turkish delight is known as lokum (локум) and enjoys some popularity.

Romania

In Romania, Turkish delight is called and it is eaten as is or is added in many Romanian cakes called '' cornulețe'', '' cozonac'' or ''salam de biscuiţi''.

Serbia

In Serbia it is commonly known as ''ratluk'' and as well served along tea and coffee.

Former Ottoman territories in the Balkans

Turkish delight was introduced to European portions of the Ottoman Empire under its rule and has remained popular. Today it is commonly consumed with coffee. Rosewater and walnut are the most common flavorings.

Ireland, the United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries

Fry's Turkish Delight, created in 1914, is marketed by Cadbury in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, South Africa, Canada and New Zealand. It is rosewater-flavored, and covered on all sides in milk chocolate. UK production moved to Poland in 2010. Hadji Bey was an Armenian emigrant to Ireland who in 1902 set up an eponymous company – still in existence – to produce rahat lokoum for the Irish and later UK markets.

North America

In Canada, the Big Turk chocolate bar made by Nestlé consists of dark magenta Turkish Delight coated in milk chocolate.

India/Pakistan

In Karachi, now in Pakistan, the "Karachi halwa" was made with corn flour and ghee and became quite popular. It is said to have been developed by Chandu Halwai which later relocated to Bombay (Mumbai) after the partition in 1947. Some of the confectioners termed it Bombay Halwa to avoid its connection with a Pakistani city. In the year 1896, a confectioner Giridhar Mavji who ran a shop Joshi Budhakaka Mahim Halwawala attempted to replace the starch with wheat flour and thus invented Mahim halwa which consists of flat sheets.

Related products

Turkish delight was an early precursor to the jelly bean, inspiring its gummy interior.

In popular culture

Turkish delight features as the enchanted confection the White Witch uses to gain the loyalty of Edmund Pevensie in ''The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'' (1950) by C. S. Lewis. Sales of Turkish delight rose following the theatrical release of the 2005 film '' The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe''.

Cultural significance

Turkish delight holds deep cultural significance in Greece, Turkey, Iran, and across the Middle East and Eastern Europe. It symbolizes hospitality, generosity, and celebration. In Turkey, lokum is a staple during festive occasions such as weddings, where it symbolizes sweetness and prosperity in the couples' life together. Similarly, during religious festivals like Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, it is exchanged as gifts among family and friends. In Greece, loukoumi is a symbol of hospitality and refinement. It is commonly served to guests alongside tea or coffee, representing warmth and respect for visitors. Lokum's sweet taste is often seen as a metaphor for the sweetness of life and relationships, making it a beloved symbol of joy and togetherness.

See also

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References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Turkish Delight
Candy
Arab desserts
Turkish desserts
Lebanese desserts
Iranian desserts
Iraqi cuisine
Israeli desserts
Kurdish cuisine
Middle Eastern cuisine
Greek desserts
Cypriot cuisine
Balkan cuisine
Bulgarian desserts
Romanian sweets
Tabriz cuisine
Macedonian cuisine
Belarusian cuisine
Albanian cuisine