Jump to content

Turkish delight

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by ArkinAardvark (talk | contribs) at 11:24, 28 July 2011 (→‎Around the world: Romanizations). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

For other uses, see Turkish Delight (disambiguation).
Turkish delight
Turkısh Delight
Several pieces of Turkish Delight
Alternative namesLokum
CourseSnack
Place of origin Ottoman Empire
Region or stateTurkey
Created byOttoman
Serving temperatureRoom temperature
Main ingredientsStarch, sugar
VariationsMultiple

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.

Origin

Rosewater-flavored Turkish delight

Lokum has been produced since the 11th century, when it originated in the Byzantine Empire. It has been the official type of candy of the Orthodox church since then and it is still be prepared in most of their monasteries as an income source. 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).

Name

Lokum was introduced to the West in the 19th century. An unknown Briton reputedly became very fond of the delicacy during his travels to Istanbul in a greek pastery agency and purchased cases of it, to be shipped back to Britain under the name Turkish delight because, although it was a Greek culture city, it was in the region of Turkey.

It became a major delicacy in Britain and throughout Continental Europe for the high class society.

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 "Tom Bee's" widespread popularity.

Around the world

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.

In Greece and its islands it is often branded "Greek Delight", mostly to show point of origin also because it is believed to be a the mistake of calling it turkish and of the historic hostility between Greece and Turkey

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.[1] In Ireland, an Armenian immigrant founded a confectionery company called Hadji Bey et Cie. The confection is known in Brazil as Delícia Turca or Bala de Goma (Síria/Árabe).

The following is a list of names in other languages, or the names of similar dishes:

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.[2][3]

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.[4]

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 is featured in the climax of the novel Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers.

David Crowder*Band's song "Turkish Delight" was released on the Music Inspired by the Chronicles of Narnia compilation CD. This song, which is a reference to the magical Turkish Delight in C. S. Lewis's book The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, has an old-school disco feel.

Turkish delight also figures in a Peter Cook and Dudley Moore sketch, about a man who visits a psychiatrist to cure himself of an involuntary scream whenever he sees his wife Mary. The psychiatrist, played by Cook, gives him turkish delight as a positive reinforcement whenever a picture of Mary is flashed on a screen.

See also

References

  1. ^ "The History of Jelly Beans". National Confectioners Association. Retrieved 2009-09-24. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) [dead link]
  2. ^ "Turks riled as Cyprus set to win EU trademark on Turkish delight". International Herald Tribune. Associated Press. December 13, 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-14. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  3. ^ Dossier Number CY/PGI/0005/0454 in the EU's Database of Origin and Registration.
  4. ^ Turkish Delight Sales Jump After Narnia Chronicles
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lokum.
Wikibooks Cookbook has a recipe/module on
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Turkish_delight&oldid=441854681"