Turkish delight

This article is about the confection. For other uses, see Turkish Delight (disambiguation).

Turkish Delight

An assortment of Turkish delight
Origin
Alternative name(s)	Lokum
Place of origin	Ottoman Empire
Region or state	Turkey
Creator(s)	Ottoman
Details
Course	Snack
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.

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 the high class society. During this time, it became a practice among upperclass socialites to exchange pieces of Turkish delight wrapped in silk handkerchiefs as presents.^{[citation needed]}

This article is part of the series
Turkish cuisine Türk mutfağı
Ingredients Vegetables Bean Bell pepper Eggplant Leek Lentil Spinach Tomato Herbs & Spices Almond Black pepper Chestnut Cinnamon Cumin Garlic Hazelnut Mint Nut Onion Oregano Paprika Parsley Pistachio Red pepper Thyme Urfa pepper Walnut
Breads Bazlama Lavaş Nokul Pide Poğaça Simit Tandır bread Yufka
Soups Chorba (main article) Ezogelin İşkembe Mercimek Tarhana
Appetitizers & Salads Meze (main article) Baba ganuş Beyaz cheese Cacık Çiğ köfte Çoban salad Dolma Humus İçli köfte İmam bayıldı Kaşar cheese Kaşkaval cheese Kısır Kokoreç Lavaş cheese Mihaliç cheese Pastirma Pilaki Piyaz Sarma Sucuk Şakşuka Tulum cheese Yoğurt
Dishes Börek Bulgur Çiğ börek Çılbır Erişte İzmir köfte Karnıyarık Keşkek Lâpa Mantı Menemen Musakka Perdeli pilav Pilav Soğan dolma Yahni
Grilled meats Kebab (main article) Adana kebab Alanya kebab Alinazik kebab Beyti kebab Cağ kebabı Döner kebab İskender kebab Köfte Patlıcanlı kebab Şiş kebab Şiş tavuk
Beverages Non-alcoholic beverages Ayran Boza Cola Turka Mırra Pekmez Rize Tea Salep Şalgam Şıra Turkish coffee Turkish tea Beers Beer in Turkey (main article) Efes Tekel Distilled beverages Kımız Rakı
Wines Turkish wine (main article) Adakarası Boğazkere Çalkarası Kalecik Karası Öküzgözü Papazkarası
Desserts Turkish desserts (main article) Acıbadem kurabiyesi Aşure Bülbül yuvası Cezerye Dondurma Ekmek kadayıfı Güllaç Helva Keşkül Kurabiye Künefe Lokma Macun Marron glacé Pekmez Pişmaniye Quince dessert Sütlaç Sütlü Nuriye Tavuk göğsü Tulumba Turkish delight Zerde
Instruments Cezve Mangal Oklava Sac Semaver Tandır
Related cuisines Balkan Caucasian Central Asian Greek Iranian Levantine Middle Eastern Mongolian Ottoman
Turkey portal

Name

The Turkish words lokma and lokum are derived from the Turkic luqma(t), meaning morsel and mouthful, plural luqūm. The alternate Ottoman. In Libya, Saudi Arabia, and Tunisia, it is called حلقوم ḥalqūm. In Egypt it's called 'Malban' or 'Agamiyah'. Its name in Bosnia (rahat lokum), in Serbia it is called (ratluk), and in Romania (rahat) clearly relate this etymology. 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), it is also marketed as Cyprus Delight.

In English, it was formerly called Lumps of Delight.

Around the world

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. The rahat is one of the typical products saw in fairs and exhibitions in the eighteenth and nineteenth century.

Linguistic

The Romanian word to describe this confection is rahat who is an abbreviation of Arabic rahat ul-holkum. However, in the Romanian language, the word rahat took a pejorative sense, in this case an expletive that translates shit · . According to famous linguist Lazăr Şăineanu, Turkish words 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, weakens the influence of Ottoman society and Ottoman Turkish language who have not had time to take root in the Romanian language took a touch of irony and became a mine for humorous literature.

Consumption

The rahat is eaten as is or used to make cake Romanian, as cozonac, cornuleţe or salam de biscuiti. Traditionally in Romania and the Balkans generally, the rahat is served with coffee.

Bibliography

• Lazăr Şăineanu, Influenta orientala asupra limbii if culturii Romanesque, 1900.

Other

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".

In North America, Turkish delight is not especially common, though it forms the basic foundation of the Big Turk chocolate bar (distributed by Nestlé in Canada) as well as the basis for most of Liberty Orchards' line of confectionery, including their various "Fruit Delights" and Aplets & Cotlets. Additionally, the Nory Candy company of California has been producing their "Rahat Locum" version of Turkish delight for 30 years.

Elsewhere, Fry's Turkish Delight is produced by Cadbury in the United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa and can also be found in Canada and New Zealand. The interior jelly of jelly beans may trace its origin back to Turkish delight. The confection is known in Brazil as Delícia Turca or Bala de Goma (Síria/Árabe).

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.

Popular culture

Turkish delight features as the addictive confection to which Edmund Pevensie succumbs in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis. Sales of Turkish delight rose following the theatrical release of the film version of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

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.

Turkish delight is the main subject of the song "Rahadlakum" from the Broadway musical Kismet.

Turkish delight is also the main subject of the song "Turkish Delight" from the album The Roar of Love completed by the 2nd Chapter of Acts in 1980.

The character of Rosa in Charles Dickens' unfinished The Mystery of Edwin Drood has an inordinate fondness for Turkish delight, which she frequently refers to as "Lumps of Delight."

Turkish delight features in the climax of the novel Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers.

Rachat Locum is repeatedly mentioned in Age of Longing by Arthur Koestler.

See also

• Big Turk
• Botan Rice Candy
• Turkish cuisine

External links

• Sale of Original Turkish Delight
• Turkish Delight Recipe

This article is part of the series
Romanian cuisine
Soups Borş de burechiuşe Ciorbă Ciorbă de burtă Ciorbă țărănească Ciorbă de perişoare Ciorbă de pește Ciorbă de praz Ciorbă de pui Ciorbă de sfeclă
Appetitizers & Salads Fasole bătută Murături Ouă umplute Salată de boeuf Salată de icre Salată de vinete Salată orientala Varză călită Zacuscă
Condiments & sauces Arpacaş Borş Cimbru Hrean Leuştean Mujdei Rântaş Satou Scorcolga Smântână
Dishes Ardei umpluți Balmoş Caşcaval pane Ciulama Cocoloşi Creier pane Drob Fasole cu cârnaţi Găluşcă Ghiveci Iahnie Limbă cu măsline Mămăligă Mămăligă in paturi Musaca Ostropel Papricaș Pilaf Piftie Plachie Rasol Saramură Sarmale Şniţel Soté de morcovi Tochitură Urs de mămăligă
Delicatessen Babic Cabanoş Caltaboş Cârnați Chișcă Crenvurșt Ghiudem Lebar Nădlac sausages Pastramă Pleşcoi sausages Sângerete Sibiu sausages Slănină Şuncă Tobă
Grilled meats Chiftele Frigărui Mititei Pârjoale
Beverages Afinată Bragă Caisată Cireșată Compot Cornată Horincă Mastícă Nechezol Pălincă Rachiu Secărică Socată Turț Țuică Vișinată Zmeurată
Cheeses Brânză Brânză de burduf Brânză de coşuleţ Brânză topită Caș Cașcaval Năsal Penteleu Șvaițer Telemea Urdă
Breads Colaci Covrigi Cozonac Frigănele Langoși Lipie Pită de Pecica
Desserts Alivenci Amandină Clătită Colivă Colţunaşi Cornuleţe Gogoşi Griş cu lapte Halva Kamasutra Kürtőskalács Lapte de pasăre Joffre cake Magiun of Topoloveni Papanași Pască Plăcintă Orez cu lapte Rahat Scovardă Sfințișori Ștrudel Vărzar
Romania portal