What is Turkish Delight made from?  Oriental sweets

What is Turkish Delight made from? Oriental sweets

Thanks to its original taste and unusual appearance, Turkish delight is known all over the world and is the hallmark of Turkey. Traditionally, this oriental sweet is usually served with tea or coffee, but those with a sweet tooth consume it as an independent product. The taste of the dessert is so unusual that, having tried it for the first time, tourists ask the question: “What is Turkish delight made from?”

History of appearance

This sweet was first prepared in the second half of the 18th century. Rahat-lokum is translated from Turkish as “convenient piece”. The appearance of Turkish delight is associated with a legend about the rivalry between two chefs of the Turkish Sultan. Each of them wanted to stun the ruler with their dish and get a dominant place in the palace kitchen. One of the rivals, named Ali Mahiddin, invented the unprecedented sweet “Turkish delight”. Its composition was as follows: sugar syrup, starch, aromatic additives, nuts and dried fruits. The dessert simply melted in your mouth and had an unusual, unlike anything else taste. The Sultan was delighted and showered Ali Mahiddin with favors.

During the Ottoman Empire, the taste of Turkish delight could only please government officials. The families of common people did not have the opportunity to try this wonderful dessert.

What is Turkish Delight made from?

Sugar and starch are used to produce this dessert. To give this sweetness a unique taste, aroma and color, honey, nuts, and dried fruits are added to its composition. Ready Turkish delight looks like small elastic cubes, the surface of which is completely covered with fine powdered sugar. There are many different fillings and fruit syrups that make up this sweet and determine the variety of its types.
But classic Turkish delight is prepared using water from rose petals. It is this component that gives the dessert its delicate color and that original taste, thanks to which this sweetness has gained worldwide popularity. Tourists always bring extraordinary Turkish delight from Turkey as a gift for their family and friends.

Benefits/harms of oriental sweets

The healing properties of this dessert directly depend on the components included in its composition.

Real Turkish delight contains glucose, which strengthens the body as a whole, has a positive effect on the functioning of the heart and brain and improves hair condition.

The substance formed by combining glucose and starch strengthens the immune system and helps the body resist viruses and colds.

Nuts of various types relieve hypertension, obesity, insomnia, high cholesterol, and have a beneficial effect on the sexual function of both men and women.

It becomes obvious that, in addition to the extraordinary taste, there is another distinctive feature of Turkish delight - benefits.

The harm of this dessert lies in the presence of a large amount of carbohydrates, which are easily digested. If consumed frequently and in large quantities, it can lead to obesity. People with diabetes should avoid Turkish delight. Those who lead a sedentary lifestyle should also limit their consumption of oriental sweets.

DIY Turkish delight basics

The production of this dessert does not require rare and refined ingredients or special technologies. This sweet is quite easy to prepare at home. What Turkish delight is made from and how to prepare it with your own hands is described below:


Turkish delight with vanilla

Boil syrup from 1 kilogram of sugar and 300 milliliters of water, pour into it a mixture of 100 grams of starch and 200 milliliters of water, stirring constantly, and keep on fire until thickened. Next, add 4 tablespoons of fruit puree, 1 drop of rose oil, 2 teaspoons of lemon zest, 1 pinch of saffron and 100 grams of nuts. Cook until semi-solid, then place the mixture on a baking sheet. The layer height should reach 2.5 cm.
Refrigerate the Turkish delight for four hours, cut into cubes and roll in powdered sugar and vanilla.

Turkish delight with pistachios

Prepare syrup from 3.5 cups of sugar and 1 cup of water. Add 1 cup of starch and cook until thick. At the end of cooking, add a little citric acid. Pour 200 grams of pistachios onto a baking sheet, pour the resulting mixture over them, and place the same layer of pistachio nuts on top. Cool, then cut into oblong pieces.

This oriental sweetness amazes with its variety of types. What is Turkish Delight made from? Depending on the filling used, it comes with nuts and candied fruits. Powdered sugar, coconut flakes, cinnamon, poppy seeds or chocolate can be used as powder. Depending on the shape, these can be cubes or rolls. Today, Turkish delight is loved not only in Turkey, but also in other countries of the world.