Turkish delight

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"Lokum" redirects here. It is not to be confused with Locum. For other uses, see Lokum (disambiguation) and Turkish Delight (disambiguation).
Turkish delight
TurkishDelightDisplay.jpg
An assortment of Turkish delight on display in Turkey
Alternative namesLokum
TypeConfection
Place of originOttoman Empire (Turkey),[1] or Arab people or Safavid Empire (Iran/Persia)[2]
Serving temperatureRoom temperature
Main ingredientsStarch, sugar
VariationsMultiple

Turkish delight or lokum (Ottoman Turkish: لوقوم) 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. 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 flavors include cinnamon and mint. In the production process, soapwort may be used as an emulsifying additive.

The origin of the confection is not precisely known, but the confection is known to have been produced in Turkey and Iran (Persia) as early as the late 18th century.

History[]

Turkish delights in Spice Bazaar in Istanbul
Rosewater-flavored Turkish delight
Several Turkish Delight variants prominently featuring dried coconut
A variation on Turkish delight surrounded by layers of nougat and dried apricot
Kaymak lokum, Turkish delight of cream, a speciality of Afyonkarahisar
Fruit-flavoured rahat from Romania

The exact origin of these sweets is yet to be definitively determined; however, the Turkish word lokum comes from the Arabic al-lukum. In the Arab world, Turkish delights are called رَاحَة الْحُلْقُوم (rāḥat al-ḥulqūm) which means 'throat comfort'.

According to the Hacı Bekir company, Bekir Efendi, named Hacı Bekir after performing the Hajj, 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. The family business, now in its fifth generation, still operates under the founder's name.[3]

Tim Richardson, a historian of sweets, has questioned the popular attribution of Hacı Bekir as the inventor of Turkish delight, 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.[2][4] The Oxford Companion to Food states that although Bekir is often credited with the invention, there is no hard evidence for it.[5]

Name[]

The Turkish names lokma and lokum are derived from the Arabic word luqma(t) (لُقْمَة) and its plural luqam (لُقَم) meaning 'morsel' and 'mouthful'[6] and the alternative Ottoman Turkish name, rahat-ul hulküm,[7] was an Arabic formulation, rāḥat al-hulqūm (رَاحَةُ ٱلْحُلْقُوم‎), meaning 'comfort of the throat', which remains the name in formal Arabic.[8] In Libya, Saudi Arabia, Algeria and Tunisia it is known as ḥalqūm, while in Kuwait it is called كبده الفرس kabdat alfaras; in Egypt and Lebanon it is called malban (ملبن  [ˈmælbæn]) or ʕagameyya, and in Syria rāḥa (راحة). Its name in various Eastern European languages comes from Ottoman Turkish lokum (لوقوم) or rahat-ul hulküm. Its name in Greek, λουκούμι (loukoumi) 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),[9][10] it is also marketed as Cyprus Delight. In Armenian it is called lokhum (լոխում). Its name in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Israel is rahat lokum, and derives from a very old confusion of the two Ottoman Turkish names found already in Ottoman Turkish;[7] indeed this mixed name can also be found in Turkey today. Its name in Serbo-Croatian is ratluk (ратлук), a reduced form of the same name. In Persian, it is called rāhat-ol-holqum (راحت الحلقوم).[11]

In English, it was formerly alternatively known as Lumps of Delight.[12]

Around the world[]

Europe[]

Bulgaria[]

In Bulgarian, Turkish Delight is known as lokum (локум) and enjoys some popularity. While it presumably came with the Ottoman Empire, it may have arrived earlier, as the Middle East has been very influential to the country in terms of cuisine. Bulgaria produces its own brands of lokum, which may be plain or spiced with rose petals, white walnuts, or "endreshe".[citation needed]

Greece[]

In Greece, Turkish Delight, known as loukoumi [λουκούμι] has been a very popular delicacy since the 19th century, 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.

Romania and Moldova[]

The Romanian word to describe this confection is rahat, an abbreviation of the Arabic rahat ul-holkum.[13] However, in the Romanian language, the word rahat took a pejorative sense, in this case a euphemism that translates as crap.[14][15] According to linguist Lazăr Șăineanu, Turkish words which entered the Romanian language in the seventeenth century and eighteenth century became mostly obsolete and acquired a pejorative or ironic sense. Politically and socially, this weakened the influence of Ottoman society, and parts of the Ottoman Turkish language which had not had time to take root in the Romanian language took a touch of irony and became a mine for humorous literature.[16] Rahat is eaten as is or is added in many Romanian cakes called cornulețe, cozonac or  [ro].[17]

Albania and Former Yugoslavia[]

In the countries of former Yugoslavia (Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Slovenia), as well as in Albania, Turkish delight is known as rahat-lokum, ratluk or lokum. It was introduced during Ottoman rule of the Balkans and has remained popular. Today it is commonly consumed with coffee. Rose and walnut are the most common flavorings.[citation needed]

North America[]

The Nory Candy company in the Greater Los Angeles area has been producing Turkish Delights or Rahat Locum since 1964. The company produces different fruit and exotic flavors including rose and licorice as well a variety which include nuts such as almonds, pistachios, and walnuts.

In 1930, two Armenian immigrants, Armen Tertsagian and Mark Balaban, founded Liberty Orchards[18] of Cashmere, Washington, and began manufacturing "Aplets" (apple and walnut locoum) and "Cotlets" (apricot and walnut locoum). In 1984, they added the medley-flavored "Fruit Delights" line in strawberry, raspberry, orange, blueberry, peach, cranberry, and pineapple assortments. Although all of these confections are marketed under American-style brand names, they are described on product packaging as "Locoum".[citation needed]

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

Brazil[]

The confection is known in Brazil as Manjar Turco, 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.[citation needed]

Britain and other Commonwealth nations[]

Fry's Turkish Delight is marketed by Cadbury in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and South Africa and can also be found in Canada and New Zealand. It is rosewater-flavoured, and covered on all sides in milk chocolate. UK production controversially moved to Poland in 2010.[19]

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.[20]

Related products[]

Turkish delights in Spice Bazaar in Istanbul

Turkish delight was an early precursor to the jelly bean, inspiring its gummy interior.[21][22]

There are gourmand perfumes that are based upon Turkish Delight, such as "Loukhoum"[23] by Ava Luxe, "Loukhoum"[24] by Keiko Mecheri, and "Rahät Loukoum"[25] by Serge Lutens.

In 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.[26] 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.[27]

The Mickey Mouse TV series Season 3 episode titled, "Turkish Delights," takes place in Turkey, where Mickey was serving Turkish delights at the Grand Bazaar along with Donald and Goofy as their competition, while they try to kick out Mickey from stealing their customers.

In episode four of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, "The Whole World is Watching", Baron Zemo uses Turkish delights (which he claims is "irresistible" and was his deceased son's favorite candy) to gain information from a Latvian girl to assist Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes in locating Karli Morgenthau and to advance his own agenda of eliminating the Super Soldier serum and all its recipients.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Roufs, Timothy G.; Roufs, Kathleen Smyth (2014). Sweet Treats around the World: An Encyclopedia of Food and Culture. ABC-CLIO. pp. 343–346. ISBN 978-1-61069-220-5.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Richardson, Tim (2003). Sweets, a History of Temptation. London: Bantam Press. p. 51. ISBN 055381446X.
  3. ^ "History". Hacı Bekir. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015.
  4. ^ Brown, Jonathan (5 December 2005). "The Lion, the Witch & the Turkish Delight". The Independent. London. Retrieved 5 December 2005.
  5. ^ Davidson, Alan (21 August 2014). The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780191040726 – via Google Books.
  6. ^ Diran Kélékian, Dictionnaire Turc–Français (Ottoman Turkish), 1911
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b James Redhouse, A Turkish and English Dictionary, 1856, p.707.
  8. ^ Hans Wehr, A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, 1966, p.365
  9. ^ "Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006". Official Journal of the European Union. 2007-04-21. Retrieved 2015-11-15.
  10. ^ "Commission Regulation (EC) No 1485/2007". Official Journal of the European Union. 2007-12-14. Retrieved 2015-11-15.
  11. ^ Colin Turner, A Thematic Dictionary of Modern Persian, 2004
  12. ^ Oxford English Dictionary
  13. ^ Lazăr Șăineanu, Influența orientală asupra limbii și culturii românești, 1900
  14. ^ "Dictionnaire franco roumain" (PDF). Projet babel (in Romanian).
  15. ^ Yann Picand, Dominique Dutoit. "Traduction de merde en roumain | dictionnaire français-roumain". Traduction.sensagent.com. Retrieved 2014-08-01.
  16. ^ "INFLUENTA LIMBII TURCE ASUPRA LIMBII ROMǺNE" (in Romanian). scritube.com.
  17. ^ Marks, Gil (2010). Encyclopedia of Jewish Food. Wiley. ISBN 9780470943540.
  18. ^ "Aplets & Cotlets, Fruit Delights, Orchard Bars, Fruit & Nut Candies". www.libertyorchards.com.
  19. ^ Bouckley, Ben. (July 30, 2010). "Final UK-made Cadbury Crunchie bars from September". Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  20. ^ "DOOR". Ec.europa.eu. Retrieved 2014-08-01.
  21. ^ Moncel, Bethany. "The History of Jelly Beans". About.com. Retrieved 2015-09-14.
  22. ^ Olver, Lynne (2015-01-09). "history notes-candy". The Food Timeline. Retrieved 2014-08-01.
  23. ^ "Loukhoum by Ava Luxe". Basenotes Fragrance Directory. Retrieved 2014-08-01.
  24. ^ "Loukhoum by Keiko Mecheri (2002)". Basenotes Fragrance Directory. Retrieved 2014-08-01.
  25. ^ "Rahät Loukoum by Serge Lutens Les Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido (1998)". Basenotes Fragrance Directory. Retrieved 2014-08-01.
  26. ^ Strickland, Cara (3 August 2016). "Why Was Turkish Delight C.S. Lewis's Guilty Pleasure?". JSTOR Daily.
  27. ^ Reilly, Susan (2006-02-17). "Turkish Delight Sales Jump After Narnia Chronicles". Info.nhpr.org. Retrieved 2014-08-01.

External links[]

Turkish Delight

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