Lokum
Turkish Delights
Lokum are succulent, sugary cubes from Türkiye based on a gel of starch
and sugar. Traditionally, lokum is flavored with rose water, lemon,
bergamot orange, mastic, or mint, but the Turkish favorite remains a
lokum of plain jelly combined with pistachios.
There are also other varieties, using ingredients such as cinnamon,
dates, hazelnuts, or walnuts. These cubes are typically offered with tea
and coffee after breakfast, lunch, and dinner in most Turkish homes. The
sweet treats were invented by Bekir Affendi, who came to Istanbul in
1777 from Anatolia.
His first shop, Haci Bekir, is still in business, run by his
descendants. The name of these sweets comes from the Arabic term
rahat-ul hulkum, meaning heal or soothe the throat. Its other popular
name, Turkish delight, was coined in the 18th century when an English
traveler took some of the sweets back home, and since he couldn't
pronounce the Arabic name, he coined his own term.
The original recipe called for corn flour, refined beet sugar, honey,
and water. The treat soon gained popularity, and today it is one of the
most famous symbols of Türkiye.
learn more about Lokum