Today, for the Just Some Food Challenge, I am featuring a very popular sweet in Turkey, known as Turkish Delight. It is a family of confections based on a gel of starch and sugar. Premium varieties consist largely of chopped dates, pistachios, hazelnuts or walnuts. Traditional varieties are often flavored with rosewater, bergamot, orange, lemon, cinnamon or mint. The confection is often packaged and eaten in small cubes dusted with icing sugar or powdered cream to prevent them from sticking together.

Some shops, in Istanbul, have everything from Turkish Delight to olives and nuts……One stop shopping!

The origin of Turkish Delight is not precisely known, however, the Turkish word locum, comes from an Arabic word, al-lukum, which means “throat comfort.” Turkish Delight has been produced in Turkey and Iran as early as the 18th century.

This gourmet shop in Istanbul offered  Turkish Delight, French macaroons, chocolates, baklava and donuts, as well. Makes everybody happy!

According to the Haci Bekir Company, Bekir Efendi, moved to Constantinople (today’s Istanbul) and opened his confectionary shop in the district of Bahcekapi in 1777, after performing the Hajj. He produced various kinds of candies and lokum, later specializing with 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, and is still a big company in Istanbul.

This shop offered Turkish Delight with a side of mushrooms.

In the United States, two Armenian immigrants, Armen Tertsagian and Mark Balaban, founded Liberty Orchards in Cashmere, Washington, in 1930. They began manufacturing Aplets (apple and walnut locoum) and Cotlets (apricot and walnut locoum) In 1984, they added the medley-flavored, Fruit Delights, in strawberry, raspberry, orange, blueberry, peach, cranberry, and pineapple assortments. Although, these treats are marketed under American brand names, they are described on the packages as Locoum.  In the U.S, these sweets are sometimes called, “Lumps of Delight.” It is also believed that Turkish Delight was the precursor to our jelly bean.

This shop offered Turkish Delight, but also fresh herbs and cinnamon sticks.

And finally, there are also distinct perfumes based on Turkish Delight, such as Loukhoum by Ave Luxe, Loukhoum by Keiko Mecheri, and Rahät Loukoum by Serge Lutens, in case you can’t get enough of the stuff!

I hope you have enjoyed learning about Turkish Delight! If you would like to share about food in your travels or food in your spot of the world, join in by adding your post in #Just Some Food, in the comment section!

See you next time in another spot! Cady