Lokum / Turkish Delight/ Rahat turcesc



Turkish delight or Lokum is a family of confections based on a gel of starch and sugar. Premium varieties consist largely of chopped dates, pistachios, and hazelnuts or walnuts bound by the gel; traditional varieties are mostly gel, generally flavored with rosewater, mastic, Bergamot orange, or lemon. The confection is often packaged and eaten in small cubes dusted with icing sugar, copra, or powdered cream of Tartar, to prevent clinging. Other common types include such flavors as cinnamon and mint. In the production process, soapwort may be used as an emulsifying additive.

History

The sweet as it is known today was invented by Bekir Effendi, who moved from his hometown Kastamonu to Istanbul and opened his confectionery shop in 1776.

Originally, honey and molasses were its sweeteners, and water and flour were the binding agents, with rosewater, lemon peel and bitter orange as the most common flavors (red, yellow and green). Lokum was introduced to Western Europe in the 19th century. An unknown Briton reputedly became very fond of the delicacy during his travels to Istanbul and purchased cases of it, to be shipped back to Britain under the name Turkish delight. It became a major delicacy in Britain and throughout Continental Europe for high class society. During this time, it became a practice among upper class socialites to exchange pieces of Turkish delight wrapped in silk handkerchiefs as presents.

Name

The Turkish words lokma and lokum are derived from the Arabic words luqma(t), meaning morsel and mouthful, plural luqūm, used commonly in the Ottoman Turkish language. In Libya, Saudi Arabia, and Tunisia, it is called حلقوم ḥalqūm. In Egypt it's called 'Malban' or 'Agamiyah' and in Syria Raha. Its name in various Eastern European languages come from lokum or the Arabic name rahat al-hulqum meaning "comfort of the throat". Its name in Greek, λουκούμι(loukoumi), shares a similar etymology with the modern Turkish. In parts of Cyprus, marketed as Cyprus Delight. Its name in Bosnian is "Rahat Lokum", an older Ottoman version still also used in Turkey, though rarely. Its name in Serbo-Croatian is "Ratluk".

In English, it was formerly called Lumps of Delight.