Turkish delight

Turkish delight,orlokum(//lɔ.kʊm//) is a family ofconfectionsbased on agelofstarchandsugar. Premium varieties consist largely of chopped dates, pistachios, hazelnuts or walnuts bound by the gel; traditional varieties are often flavored withrosewater,mastic gum,bergamot orange, orlemon. Other common flavors includecinnamonandmint. The confection is often packaged and eaten in small cubes dusted withicing sugar,copra, or powderedcream of tartarto prevent clinging.
The origin of modern lokum is not precisely known, though the confection is known to have been produced in theOttoman Empiresince the late 18th century.
The exact origin of these sweets is yet to be definitively determined, partly due to the origins being fiercely contested amongstGreeks,TurksandIranians.
According to theHacı Bekir confectionary company[tr], Ali Muhiddin Hacı Bekir moved toConstantinoplefrom his hometownKastamonuand opened his confectionery shop in the district of Bahçekapı in 1777. He produced various kinds of candies andlokum, later including a unique form oflokummade with starch and sugar.
Tim Richardson, a historian of sweets, has questioned the popular attribution of the invention of Turkish delight to Hacı Bekir, writing that "specific names and dates are often erroneously associated with the invention of particular sweets, not least for commercial reasons".Similar Arab andPersianrecipes, including the use of starch and sugar, predate Bekir by several centuries.The Oxford Companion to Foodstates that although Bekir is often credited with the invention, there is no real evidence for it.
Some sources indicate that the concept of Loukoumi dates back toByzantine times.There are also claims that It was invented by theGreeks of Asia Minor, where It then became popular throughout the Ottoman empire and Safavid Iran.Regardless, the sweet may have been re-invented since, though this is subject to heavy debate.
Some sources suggest that similar features were also present in Arab and Persian cuisines. In particular, there are sources claiming that it was invented during theSafavid Iranperiod.
The Turkish nameslokmaandlokumare derived from the Arabic wordluqma(t)(لُقْمَة) and its pluralluqam(لُقَم) meaning 'morsel' and 'mouthful'and the alternativeOttoman Turkishname,rahat-ul hulküm,was an Arabic formulation,rāḥat al-hulqūm(رَاحَةُ ٱلْحُلْقُوم‎), meaning 'comfort of the throat', which remains the name in formal Arabic.
InLibya,Saudi Arabia,AlgeriaandTunisiait is known asḥalqūm, while inKuwaitit is calledكبده الفرسkabdat alfaras; inEgyptit is calledmalban(ملبن[ˈmælbæn]) orʕagameyya, and inLebanon,Palestine, andSyriarāḥa(راحة). Its name in various Eastern European languages comes from Ottoman Turkishlokum(لوقوم) orrahat-ul hulküm. Its name inGreek,λουκούμι(loukoumi) shares a similar etymology with the modern Turkish and it is marketed asGreek Delight. InCyprus, where the dessert hasprotected geographical indication (PGI),it is also marketed asCyprus Delight. InArmenianit is calledlokhum(լոխում). It is läoma ܠܥܡܐ inAssyrian. Its name inBosnia and HerzegovinaandIsraelisrahat lokum, and derives from a very old confusion of the two names found already in Ottoman Turkish;indeed this mixed name can also be found inTurkeytoday. Its name inSerbo-Croatianisratluk(ратлук), a reduced form of the same name. InPersian, it is calledrāhat-ol-holqum(راحت الحلقوم).In theIndian subcontinent, a variant of it is known asKarachi halwaorBombay halwa. InHungaryit is called szultán kenyér (Sultan's bread).
In English, it was formerly alternatively known as "lumps of delight".
InArmenia, Turkish delight is known as lokhum (լոխում) and is used for various sweets. For example It is used to make Cigarette cookies, (Armenian: սիգարետ թխվածքաբլիթներ) which are soft cookies that are rolled into the form of a cigarette. They are filled with eitherlokhum, a mixture of sugar,cardamom, and walnuts, or a combination of both. The dough mainly consists ofmatzoon, butter, eggs, and flour. When finished the pastry gets dusted withpowdered sugar.
In Greece, Turkish delight, known asloukoumi(λουκούμι), has been a popular delicacy since the 19th century or earlier, famously produced in the city ofPatras(Patrina loukoumia) as well as on the island ofSyrosand the northern Greek citiesThessaloniki,SerresandKomotinibut 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, isAkanés.Cyprusis the only country that has aprotected geographical indication (PGI)for this product: Loukoumi made inYeroskipouis calledΛουκούμι Γεροσκήπου(loukoumi geroskipou).
InBulgarian, Turkish delight is known as lokum (локум) and enjoys some popularity.
In Romania, Turkish delight is calledrahatand it is eaten as is or is added in many Romanian cakes calledcornulețe,cozonacorsalam de biscuiţi.
In Serbia it is commonly known asratlukand as well served along tea and coffee.
Turkish delight was introduced to European portions of the Ottoman Empire under its rule and has remained popular. Today it is commonly consumed with coffee. Rosewater and walnut are the most common flavorings.
Fry's Turkish Delight, created in 1914,is marketed byCadburyin the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, South Africa, Canada and New Zealand. It is rosewater-flavored, and covered on all sides in milk chocolate. UK production moved to Poland in 2010.Hadji Bey was an Armenian emigrant to Ireland who in 1902 set upan eponymous company– still in existence – to produce rahat lokoum for the Irish and later UK markets.
In Canada, theBig Turkchocolate bar made byNestléconsists of dark magenta Turkish Delight coated in milk chocolate.
In Karachi, now in Pakistan, the "Karachi halwa" was made with corn flour and ghee and became quite popular. It is said to have been developed byChandu Halwaiwhich later relocated to Bombay (Mumbai) after the partition in 1947.Some of the confectioners termed it Bombay Halwa to avoid its connection with a Pakistani city.In the year 1896, a confectioner Giridhar Mavji who ran a shop Joshi Budhakaka Mahim Halwawala attempted to replace the starch with wheat flour and thus invented Mahim halwa which consists of flat sheets.
Turkish delight was an early precursor to thejelly bean, inspiring its gummy interior.
Turkish delight features as the enchanted confection theWhite Witchuses to gain the loyalty ofEdmund PevensieinThe Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe(1950) byC. S. Lewis.Sales of Turkish delight rose following the theatrical release of the 2005 filmThe Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Turkish delight holds deep cultural significance in Greece, Turkey, Iran, and across the Middle East and Eastern Europe. It symbolizes hospitality, generosity, and celebration. In Turkey, lokum is a staple during festive occasions such as weddings, where it symbolizes sweetness and prosperity in the couples' life together.Similarly, during religious festivals like Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, it is exchanged as gifts among family and friends. In Greece, loukoumi is a symbol of hospitality and refinement.It is commonly served to guests alongside tea or coffee, representing warmth and respect for visitors.Lokum's sweet taste is often seen as a metaphor for the sweetness of life and relationships, making it a beloved symbol of joy and togetherness.