Turkish Delight, or lokum (also loukoum; in Greek λουκούμι), is a confection made from starch and sugar. It is often flavored with rosewater or lemon, the former giving it a characteristic pale pink color. It has a soft, sticky consistency, and is often packaged and eaten in small cubes that are dusted with sugar to prevent sticking. Some recipes include small nut pieces, usually pistachio, hazelnut or walnuts.
Though enjoyed worldwide, lokum is especially familiar in Turkish cuisine and is also present in Armenian, Greek, Albanian, Romanian, Bosnian, Iranian, and Middle Eastern cuisines.
Origin
Reay Tannahill suggests that the Persian confection ahbisa (jelly) was the ancestor of Turkish rahat lokum, the long name for the sweet. The etymology of the word lokum has puzzled linguists for many years; it seems to be a corruption of the Arabic word rahat-al hulkum, meaning the contentment of throat while in Ottoman Turkish it means a piece of contentment. So, "Turkish Delight" may not be far off.[1]
The history of lokum dates back 230 years, making it one of the oldest candies in the world. Turkish legend has it that in his endeavor to quell the rumblings of discontent within his harem, a Turkish sultan summoned all his confectionery experts and ordered them to produce a unique dessert to add to the collection of secret recipes for which he was famous. As a result of extensive research, lokum was born.
In 1776, during the reign of Sultan Abdul Hamid I, Bekir Effendi, a fully apprenticed confectioner, arrived in Istanbul from a small town in Anatolia. Bekir set up in a little shop in the center of the city, and quickly won fame and fortune among a people with such a sweet tooth as the Turks.
Lokum was unveiled to the west in the 19th century. During his travels to Istanbul, an unknown Briton became very fond of the delicacy, purchased cases of lokum, and shipped them to Britain under the name Turkish Delight. Picasso used to eat Turkish Delight on a daily basis for concentration on his work while Winston Churchill and Napoleon's favorite Turkish Delight was made with pistachio filling.[citation needed]
Around the world
In North America, Turkish Delight is not especially common, but it forms the basic foundation of the Big Turk and Fry's Turkish Delight chocolate bars.
In popular culture
Turkish Delight is probably best known among English speakers as the addictive confection to which Edmund Pevensie succumbs in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. It is referred to in the song "Turkish Delight" by the Christian rock group David Crowder Band (originally written and performed by 2nd Chapter of Acts), which is based on Lewis's spiritual allegory.
In the Broadway musical Kismet, two characters sing the song "Rahadlakum" while seducing each other, describing the treat with lyrics such as "'tis sweet with the meat of the lechee nut/combined with a kumquat and rind/the kind of confection to drive a man out his/Mesopotamian mind!"
Turkish Delight is also mentioned in the song "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)", by Jimmy Kennedy and Nat Simon, which was a hit in 1953 for The Four Lads vocal group, and more recently for the alternative rock group They Might Be Giants.
A musical opera called Turkish Delight written by Giles Howe and Katy Lipson was workshopped in London in April 2006, and staged again at The Black Cap in August 2006.
Turkish Delight (Dutch: Turks Fruit) is a Dutch book by Jan Wolkers, published in 1969. In 1973, Dutch director Paul Verhoeven released the film Turkish Delight, based on the book.
Flavours
References
External links
Turkish Delight Recipe at Wikibooks