You can now buy this delectable Turkish confection online in UK
Have you ever tried a sweet that you just can’t get enough of? Well, Turkish Delight is one such confection that you will love with every passing bite. Also known as lokum in Turkey, this popular classic sweet with a jelly-like consistency is synonymous to the country and loved by many.
It’s one of the oldest known sweets which dates to over 500 years. Lokum is a speciality that is enjoyed with Turkish coffee or by itself. Even today, it strikes nostalgia amongst the locals reminding them of their childhood days and it is also a popular memento that tourists take back to their homes to family and friends.
The History Behind Turkish Delight
Legend has it, a Sultan in Istanbul wanted to keep his wives and mistresses happy. To do so, he demanded the invention of a unique dessert. The confectioner thus created a gel-like starchy sweet which was topped with nuts, flavoured with rosewater and had a rubbery texture. It was due to this order that the popular Turkish Delight was born.
However, another legend states that lokum was created in the late 1700s when a confectioner to the imperial court of Istanbul named Ali Muhiddin Hacı Bekir heard Sultan Abdul Hamid’s demand for a soft candy since the hard candy which he earlier ate almost cracked his tooth. According to the Turkey Travel Planner by Tom Brosnahan, “Ali Muhiddin Hacı Bekir had come to the imperial capital of Istanbul from the Anatolian mountain town of Kastamonu in the late 1700s to hear his emperor’s plea.” It was then that he started working on an idea in his confectioner’s kitchen which helped him land onto making this interesting dessert. By mixing corn starch, water, sugar, nuts and rosewater he created the most promising confection of Turkey to ever be born. He then dunked bite-sized chunks of this cooked sweet in powdered sugar and tasted his first-ever preparation which was an absolute delight. Initially, this indulgent sweet was also known as Rahat-ul hulkum or Rahat lokum which translates to “comfortable morsel” as it was known to soothe the throat. It was later known to be called Lokum in modern Turkish.
Since then, the Turkish Delight sweet has travelled across borders and continents as it is known to make for a unique gift. In fact, the English name – ‘Turkish Delight’ too came to be when an English traveller who brought back lokum from Turkey to his family and friends back home couldn’t pronounce its name in Arabic.
The legacy continues as you can still buy the famous confection from Ali Muhiddin’s shop located in Eminönü in Istanbul which is taken care of by his descendants. Although, the recipe has been altered over the years to help produce delicious varieties of the sweet with additional flavours, nuts, dry fruits, cream and chocolate, the taste still remains as good as it first was, if not better!
The Lokum Popularity
If you’ve ever watched the Chronicles of Narnia, you would be aware that In the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the character Edmond gets tricked by The White Witch who captures him with magical Turkish Delight that she prepared using her powers in a matter of minutes. This scene from the fantasy movie led to a rise in the sales of Turkish Delights across the world.
Apart from being popular in the movies, it is also a popular item of confection for various festivals and is a significant part of celebrations.
The Variations Of Turkish Delight
Since the discovery of lokum in Turkey, there have been a number of variations that have been produced across the globe. They vary based on their ingredients which nowadays also include a lot of vegan and sugar-free alternatives. They can also be distinguished based on their flavourings, textures, shape and more. The most popular ones are rose-flavoured lokum, dry fruit lokum, fruit favoured lokum like orange and pomegranate as well as chocolate, cream and sprinkled lokum.
Turkysh Delites Now In UK
If you’re a Turkish Delight lover or if you simply want to try out this delicious confection, you can now buy them online in UK on sultandelights.com. Brought to you by Niyuta Food Industries, the finest Turkysh Delites with international ingredients are now available to you. You can simply select your favourite product from the wide variety of flavours and ingredients such as dry fruits, chocolate, flaxseed, caramel, assorted, rainbow delight or even the famous Narnia Hazelnut Delight.
Next, add them to your cart with the touch of a button and wait a little while as your order is on its way to you. It’s time to bring a piece of Turkey back to your home with delectable Turkysh Delites. Apart from this, they also make for the perfect gifts as well. You can add them to gift-hampers that you would like to give to your loved ones or simply send them along with wedding and party invites. This delicious confection will be your all-time favourite pick, no matter the occasion.
For more information on Turkish Delights , please visit : Sultan Delights .
