An assortment of Turkish delight |
| Origin |
| Alternative
name(s) |
Lokum |
| Place of origin |
 Ottoman
Empire |
| Region or state |
Turkey |
| Creator(s) |
Turks |
| Details |
| Course |
Sweet |
| Serving temperature |
Room temperature |
| Main
ingredient(s) |
Starch, sugar |
| Variations |
Multiple |
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 and
hazelnuts or walnuts bound by the gel; the cheapest are mostly gel,
generally flavored with
rosewater,
mastic, or
lemon.
The confection is often packaged and eaten in small cubes dusted with
icing sugar,
copra, or
powdered
cream of Tartar, to prevent clinging. Other common types include
such flavors as
cinnamon and
mint.
In the production process,
soapwort may be used as an
emulsifying
additive.
History
Rosewater-flavored Turkish delight
The sweet as it is known today was invented by Bekir Effendi, who
moved from his hometown
Kastamonu to Istanbul and opened his confectionery shop in 1776.[1]
Originally,
honey and
molasses were its sweeteners, and water and flour were the binding
agents, with
rosewater,
lemon peel and
bitter orange as the most common flavors (red, yellow and green).
Lokum was introduced to Western Europe in the 19th century. An unknown
Briton reputedly became very fond of the delicacy during his travels to
Istanbul and purchased cases of it, to be shipped back to Britain under
the name Turkish delight. It became a major delicacy in Britain
and throughout Continental
Europe
for high class society. During this time, it became a practice among
upper class socialites to exchange pieces of Turkish delight wrapped in
silk handkerchiefs as presents.[citation
needed]
Name
The
Turkish words lokma and lokum are derived from the
Arabic words luqma(t), meaning morsel and mouthful,
plural luqūm.[2]
used commonly in the
Ottoman Turkish language. In
Libya,
Saudi Arabia, and
Tunisia,
it is called حلقوم ḥalqūm. In
Egypt
it's called 'Malban' or 'Agamiyah' and in
Syria
Raha. Its name in various Eastern European languages come from
lokum or the Arabic name rahat al-hulqum meaning "comfort of
the throat". Its name in
Greek, λουκούμι (loukoumi), shares a similar etymology
with the modern Turkish. In parts of
Cyprus,
where the dessert has
protected geographical indication (PGI),[3]
it is also marketed as Cyprus Delight.[4]
Its name in
Bosnian is "Rahat Lokum", an older
Ottoman version still also used in
Turkey,
though rarely. Its name in Serbo-Croatian is "Ratluk".
In English, it was formerly called Lumps of Delight.[5]
Around the world
Greece
In Greece, Turkish delight, known under the name loukoumi
[λουκούμι] is a very popular delicacy, famously produced in the island
of Syros
and elsewhere as well. Turkish delight is a common traditional treat,
routinely served instead of biscuits along with
Greek coffee. In addition to the common rosewater and bergamot
varieties,
Mastic-flavored loukoumi is available and very popular.
Romania
In Romania, Turkish delight is called rahat.
Origin
In Romania, the rahat was introduced in the eighteenth century, along
with millet beer, nougat and baclava, by
Fanariote merchants.[6]
The rahat is one of the typical products seen in fairs and exhibitions
in the eighteenth and nineteenth century.
Linguistic
The Romanian word to describe this confection is rahat, which
is an abbreviation of the Arabic rahat ul-holkum. However, in the
Romanian language, the word rahat took a pejorative sense, in
this case an expletive that translates as shit.[7][8]
According to the famous linguist
Lazăr Şăineanu, Turkish words which entered the Romanian language in
the seventeenth century and eighteenth century are mostly obsolete and
have acquired a pejorative or ironic sense. Politically and socially,
this weakens the influence of Ottoman society, and parts of the
Ottoman Turkish language which have not had time to take root in the
Romanian language took a touch of irony and became a mine for humorous
literature.[9]
Consumption
Rahat is eaten as is or is added in many Romanian cakes called
cozonac,
cornuleţe or
salam de biscuiti.[10]
Traditionally in Romania and the Balkans generally, the rahat is served
with coffee.
Bibliography
- Lazăr Şăineanu, Influența orientală asupra limbii şi culturii
româneşti, 1900.
Australia
In Australia, Turkish delight was once known as "Tom Bee", after a
returning serviceman who introduced the delicacy after the Second World
War.[citation
needed] The serviceman, Tom Bradfield, was a
personal friend of the Tasmanian Governor at the time (Sir Tannon
Muller) who became responsible for the name "Tom Bee's".
North America
In
North America, Turkish delight is not widely available under that
name or any traditional name such as Lokum. However, many products in
the line of
confectionery produced by
Liberty Orchards of Cashmere, Washington, including their "Aplets &
Cotlets" and various "Fruit Delights," may be considered Americanized
versions of Turkish Delight, and Liberty Orchards has sold a product
under the name Turkish Delight as of 2012. Turkish delight also forms
the basic foundation of the
Big
Turk chocolate bar (distributed by
Nestlé
in Canada).
The Nory Candy company of
California has been producing their "Rahat Locum" in traditional
rosewater, mint and orange, as well as pistachio and hazelnut versions
of Turkish delight, for 30 years.
Brazil
The confection is known in
Brazil
as delícia turca, bala de goma
síria
or bala de goma
árabe. As with most Middle Eastern dishes, it came with the
Levantine
Arab diaspora to Latin America.
British Commonwealth and beyond
Fry's Turkish Delight is produced by
Cadbury in the
United Kingdom,
Australia, and
South Africa and can also be found in
Canada
and
New Zealand, though it has little in common with the traditional
product. UK production controversially moved to
Poland
in 2010.[11]
The interior jelly of
jelly beans may trace its origins to Turkish delight.[12]
Protected geographical indication
Despite its worldwide popularity and production in several countries,
at present, the only
protected geographical indication (PGI) for such a product is the
name Λουκούμι Γεροσκήπου (Loukoumi Geroskipou) for Turkish delight made
in
Yeroskipou,
Cyprus.[3][13]
Related products
There are "gourmand" perfumes that use Loukoum or Loukhoum in their
names and that are said to smell like the confection, as in
Loukhoum by
Ava Luxe,
Loukhoum by
Keiko Mecheri, and
Loukoum by
Serge Lutens.
Popular culture
Turkish delight features as the addictive confection to which
Edmund Pevensie succumbs 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 version of
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.[14]