Lokum is a Turkish jelly confection, known to most of the world by the simplified name Turkish Delight. It consists of small, elastic cubes of a specific soft consistency, coated in fine powdered sugar or cornstarch so they don’t stick together in the box.
Although similar sweets based on honey and grape molasses existed in the region since ancient times, the modern form of lokum was born in Istanbul at the end of the 18th century. Legend and historical records most often mention a confectioner named Hacı Bekir, who began experimenting with ingredients that were new and luxurious at the time – refined sugar and fine cornstarch. Until then, oriental sweets were often tough and hard to chew. Bekir’s invention was revolutionary for its softness and delicacy.
It is thanks to the starch that lokum has its characteristic texture – gummy, yet rather dense and velvety. To prevent the sugar from crystallizing back into hard crystals during the long cooking process, an acidic component is added, usually cream of tartar or lemon juice. The flavor is then determined by added essences. The most traditional is rose water, which gives the sweet a floral, almost soapy hint. Other classic flavors are mastic (a resin with the taste of pine needles and cedar), bergamot, or orange blossom.
More expensive types of lokum are not just about flavored jelly, but are full of roasted pistachios, hazelnuts, or walnuts.
The best partner for lokum is Turkish coffee or tea.
Although Turkey claims authorship of this delicacy, lokum spread throughout the Balkans and the Middle East with the Ottoman expansion. In Greece, you will come across a practically identical product called loukoumi, with variants from the island of Syros being highly prized, often using local water and honey. In Cyprus, they have their Cyprus Delight, which has a protected geographical indication of origin. If you head to Bosnia, Serbia, or Macedonia, you will look for ratluk in pastry shops. In Romania, it is called rahat and is often used there as a filling for a sweet yeast pastry called cozonac. All these variants share the same basic principle of preparation and differ rather in the preferred flavors typical for the given region.
Lokum belongs among my typical souvenirs that I bring home from Turkey. My favorite variant is the one with pomegranate flavor with pistachios and wild raisins.
Bon appétit!
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