Turkish Property Port

A Little Piece of Heaven

A ‘Lump of Delight’ or ‘Turkish Delight’ in English, ‘Lokum’ in Turkish

This delicacy’s origin is unknown although has long been popular in the middle East, Greece & Baltic regions. The Turkish name Lokum is derived from the Arabic, luqma meaning morsel or mouthful. In Ottoman Turkish they called the sweet, rahat-ul hulküm another derivative from Arabic meaning comfort of the throat. A very apt description for this smooth, silky delicate sweet, that just seems to flow down the throat. History says that it was once the way the sultans quelled an unruly harem and the famous British author, C. S. Lewis introduced in his book, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe as the means of enticing Edmund into the clutches of the White Queen. The history of Lokum in Turkey has a claim from the Haci Bekir company, who opened their confectionary shop in 1777, in Bahcekapi, Istanbul.
The original Ottoman sweet was sweetened with honey or molasses using water and flour to bind it. Rose water, lemon or orange peel was used as flavouring. Haci Bekir introduced the use of glucose in 1811 shortly after its discovery. This soft, light, marshmallow textured sweet was the delight of the wealthy and elite, often being given as a gift wrapped up in a silk handkerchief.

Turkish Delight or Lokum

Homemade Turkish Delight a Real Treat

The colourful display of Lokum in Turkish confectioners is a treat to the eye as well as the taste buds. Delicately flavoured it can also have nuts and dried fruit added to the mix. The most sublime Lokum though, is the homemade version you can find at a Turkish celebration. Set out on trays cut into large pieces and literally smothered with icing sugar; eaten on their own on sandwiched between two plain biscuits, it is a treat to surpass all others. Here is a simple recipe for you to try for yourself.

  • 4 cups granulated sugar
  • 4.5 cups water, divided use
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1.25 cups cornflour
  • 1 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1.5 tbsp rosewater
  • 2-3 drops red food colouring
  • 1 cup powdered sugar

Prepare the tray by lining with foil and spraying with non-stick cooking spray.
Put sugar, 1.5 cups of water and lemon juice in a pan. Heat gently, stirring until all the sugar has dissolved. Then bring to the boil.
Keep the sides of the pan clear of sugar crystals by brushing down the sides with a wet pastry brush. Insert a sugar thermometer.
Now comes a bit of a balancing act, the thermometer is a useful guide to the timing. As the mixture reaches 225°, assemble the other ingredients.
Add the remaining water to another pan along with the cornflower and cream of tartar, whisk until no lumps remain. Bring to the boil whisking continuously until the mixture is thick and pasty.
By this time the sugar syrup should have reached 240°. Remove from heat and whisk the cornflour mixture into the sugar syrup; do this slowly and carefully until all is absorbed. Return to a low heat and simmer for about an hour, whisking at about 10 min intervals. Once it turns a nice golden yellow and is thick and syrupy it is ready. Remove from heat and let it sit for an hour.
Then it is time to add the flavouring and colour. The flavouring and colour above are guidelines you could choose to use orange flower flavouring and orange food colour – experiment it’s fun! Pour into the prepared tin and leave overnight.
The following day turn the Lokum out onto a icing sugar dusted surface. Cut with an oiled knife and toss the cubes or triangles into icing sugar.
Lokum is best eaten the same day, but can be stored for a short time between layers of greaseproof paper. Re-dust with icing sugar before serving. Not complicated to make and well worth the time and effort. Homemade Lokum just defies description, light, sweet and fluffy, an experience all to itself.