How do you keep your harem happy? This was the issue faced by Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid I. Design a sugary sweet of course – one to keep the women content and provide the sugar-hit to deal with them! Legend suggests this is how Turkish Delight, known locally as lokum, originated.

Turkish Delight and the Ottoman Sultan who adored women.

The 27th Ottoman Sultan, Abdul Hamid I, was known for his love of the ladies. With four wives living in his palace, he wanted to please them so decided to call on local confectioners to create a candy or dessert they would love. A sticky sweet, akin to cubed jelly with nuts, won the contest. The Sultan and his wives loved it, so he ordered a regular supply. Legend would suggest that this is the story behind Türkiye’s most beloved sweet.

The Sultans’ story is certainly the most romantic version of how Turkish Delight originated. Another belief is that royal chefs, bickering to get the Sultans attention, dreamt it up. Others think it stems from ‘abhisa’, enjoyed by rulers of the Persian Empire between 226 and 652 BC. The Greeks have also tried to lay claim.

The famed confectioner, Haci Bekir Effendi

What is known is that lokum didn’t become popular until the 17^th and 18^th centuries, and it wasn’t until 1777 that it was first mass-produced. At that time, a talented confectioner called Haci Bekir Effendi moved to Istanbul from the mountains of east Anatolia and opened a sweet shop. His candy became so well loved that the Sultan ordered a batch for his ladies to try, it was a hit so it’s possible that it was Haci Bekir who won over the Sultans tastebuds.

Another theory is that Haci Bekir simply came up with the cubes of jelly himself. It is thought that a wealthy traveller may have stumbled across Bekirs’ shop, tried the lokum and liked it so much that he ordered the first cases to be shipped to the UK and Europe. After 1777, the popularity of lokum spread quickly among Europe’s elite, and a gift of lokum wrapped in a silk handkerchief became common amongst the wealthy and affluent.

Haci Bekir is now accepted as the creator of modern Turkish Delight. From his humble beginnings, he amassed a chain of stores, and those with a sweet-tooth can still visit his shops in Istanbul and throughout Türkiye today. If you are cruising along the Turkish coast or have a stop-off in Istanbul, do pay a visit to his famous shop in Bahçekapi district, near the port and Blue Mosque. It is run by Bekir’s descendants, and the selection of Turkish Delight on offer is superb!

What is Turkish Delight?

Addictive and gloriously indulgent, that’s what Turkish Delight is! Turkish Delight or lokum is Türkiye’s most well-loved sweet. Think little gelatinous cubes of flavoured loveliness; the most common tasting of rose, mint, fruit or citrus. There are many varieties; with or without fruit or nuts, fluffy marshmallow style or more like wine gums, some rolled in coconut, others dredged in powdered sugar or chocolate.

Like baklava, lokum is gifted to family and friends during the Ramadan Bayrami (Eid al-Fitr) celebrations. It is handed out to guests at weddings or visitors at the birth of a child, or on the clinching a business deal. Lokum has become an integral part of Turkish culture and is enjoyed daily with a Turkish coffee at home, in restaurants or meetings. Boxes of Turkish Delight are widely available in supermarkets and souvenir shops throughout Türkiye, but the best is always bought in specialist shops where you choose your own flavours and buy it by the kilo. Here it’s fresh, and there’s a wide range on offer – ASK SENEM to add a few boxes to your provisions list.

Real Turkish Delight is a far cry from its international wannabes.

The best lokum is found in Türkiye, and other countries have struggled to manufacture anything resembling the real thing. Authentic Turkish Delight is a far cry from the pink chocolate-covered bars you find in Tesco – it comes in far more favours and varieties, and it’s way more elegant and indulgent.

On face value, Turkish Delight appears easy to make and you will find many recipes for simple versions online. But in reality, it’s tricky to produce as it’s hard to stop the sugar crystalising and make the consistency uniform. Many foreign manufacturers have tried to replicate a similar product and failed – trust us, if you want to sample the best lokum, do so in Türkiye and ask our PROVISIONS TEAM to deliver some to the yacht – you won’t be disappointed!

A few surprising facts about Turkish Delight

Turkish delight has certainly become a well-loved international favourite, and mentions and references to the sweet often appear on TV shows, food channels and magazines. Here’s a few of the most notable facts about Turkish Delight:

C.S. Lewis mentioned Turkish Delight in his novel, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In this Lewis’ classic, as Edmund Pevensie enters the wardrobe where he is transported to a snowy kingdom, he meets the White Witch pretending to be a queen. She asks him what he most wants to eat, Edmund replies “Turkish Delight”.

Charles Dickens included Turkish Delight in The Mystery of Edwin Drood. During a seduction scene, the temptress, Rosa Bud, enjoys some Turkish Delight then licks the powdered sugar from her fingers during a striptease – another example of how lokum was seen as sexy and became known as the sweet choice of lovers.

FURTHER READING FROM THE BLOG:

The weird and wonderful world of Turkish desserts