History of Turkish Delight
The Turkish delight which was an important part of the palace cuisine in the Ottoman period has hundreds of years of history. The sweet ‘abhisa’, which was frequently consumed by the Sassanites who ruled in the Persian Empire between 226 and 652 BC, although not certain but is known as the root of Turkish delight. Lokum was first referred to as ‘Rahat ul-hulküm’ in Arabic which means ‘comforting the throat’, but over time it became ‘comfortable delight’. And finally, it was called ‘lokum’ in modern Turkish.
Its recognition in the Anatolia began from the 15th century. It became the most popular in the 17th century. In the 18th century, the travelers took lokum to Europe and introduced it as ‘Turkish Delight’. Lokum also gained popularity here. Mass production in the Ottoman Empire began in 1777. At first, it was mixed with honey, fruit syrup and flour. With the invention of starch and refined sugar, the flavor has changed until today.
How is Turkish Delight Made?
Lokum is made with citric acid, sugar, starch, food color and aroma. Sugar is boiled in water until it is fully dissolved. The citric acid and starch are left to dissolve in separate cups. Then citric acid and starch are mixed with sugar water. It is boiled for a while. The mixture is checked with a spoon whether it is in a sticky consistency, and it is kept in starchy cups for 20 hours. As a final step, it is shaped on a rigid floor and packaged.
How To Make It At Home
Materials
- 1-liter milk
- 1.5 cups of sugar
- 2 cups of flour
- 100 grams of butter
- 2 packs of vanilla
- coconut
- Walnut
- Hazelnut
- Put flour, milk, and sugar in a deep saucepan. Stir constantly over low heat.
- Remove the mixture from the stove immediately after boiling.
- Add butter and vanilla in it. Mix and beat for 10 minutes with the help of a mixer.
- Pour the custard you made for Turkish Delight into a large tray and feed it over the entire area.
- Leave in the refrigerator overnight.
- Cut the pudding in the square the next morning or at noon and roll each square in your hand.
- Spread coconut, hazelnuts, and walnuts on the marshmallows you roll and make it ready for service
Of course, you can make lokum by yourself at home but it would never taste like original Turkish recipe. So if you want to spoil yourself with this epic taste you can reach the best fresh lokum options from here.
