Lokum is a traditional Turkish sweet that was made in many countries of the Ottoman Empire. He is loved all over the world. Even today it remains the most popular souvenir that tourists bring not only from Turkey, but also Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria and other countries in this region. What is lokum, what is it made from, is there any benefit to the human body in this sweet, we will consider in detail in this article.
The name of this sweet “Turkish delight” comes from Arabic and is translated rahat - “pleasure, comfort, convenience”, Turkish delight (lokum) - pieces. The full name can be translated as “pleasure for the palate” or “pleasure for the throat.”
There are several versions of the origin of this delicacy. Which one is true and which one is more commercial, historians cannot yet answer this question. But one thing is certain - the origins of modern Turkish delight go back to the Ottoman Empire, which existed for six centuries.
According to one version, Turkish delight first appeared in 1777 after a pilgrimage to Mecca by a man named Haji Bekir Efendi. Returning from Mecca, he opened a confectionery shop, which soon became very popular for its handmade sweets. Rumors of popularity reached Sultan Mahmud, who summoned the pastry chef and made him his chief court pastry chef. The Sultan had many wives and mistresses and was very fond of sweets.
After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the descendants continued the work of their relative and, after the visit of Haji Bekir’s grandson to Europe in 1897, they introduced Europeans to this delicacy and three years later patented the copyright, trademark and recipe for Turkish delight. It was at this time that this sweetness began to gain popularity in Europe.
However, this origin story has been questioned by some food historians. According to Englishman Tim Richardson, his grandfather was one of the first suppliers of sweets to England; Bekir’s descendants have somewhat exaggerated their importance. He is sure that the Turkish delight recipe is much older and dates back many centuries. A similar recipe of sugar and starch, cut into small pieces, was known to the Persians back in the early 9th century AD. It was called "Rooz", which means "New Year".
According to another version, Turkish delight was invented more than 500 years ago for the sweet-toothed Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, who loved sweets and women, after he broke his tooth on a lollipop.
The stories are similar and have a lot in common. Turkish delight may be over a thousand years old. One thing is certain that Haji Becker gave a new taste to this delicacy by adding nuts to it and inventing a recipe where flour is used instead of starch.
Today, Turkish delight is included in the assortment of almost every confectionery factory located around the world. However, everyone associates the origin of the sweet with Turkey and considers it a national confectionery product. In Turkey itself, it is traditionally served with Turkish coffee.
The original recipe for Turkish delight includes sugar syrup (or rather molasses), starch and rose water. This kind of delight is called shaker delight. A sweet that contains flour instead of starch is called Turkish Delight. Later they began to add nuts to it and many people simply call this sweet delicacy Turkish delight.
The technology of Turkish delight is simple. The diluted starch was mixed with sugar and boiled. Then the nuts are added and after cooling, cut into square pieces and sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Currently, there are many varieties of this delicacy, including without sugar, nuts, with fruit juices, fresh or dried fruits, candied fruits, vanilla, chocolate, coconut, and spices.
It is not always square in shape. Nowadays Turkish delight can be bought in the form of rolls, rectangular, multi-layered, colored, cut into shapes.
Its name can directly indicate the filler and additives: fruity, ginger, with figs, with pistachios, nutty, with rose petals.
Preparing the sweet takes two days. The whole secret of delicious Turkish delight lies in careful preparation of the raw materials and constant stirring of the sweet mass and appropriate long-term cooling. The process cannot be called too labor-intensive or costly, but requires constant attention. Therefore, cooking at home is sometimes problematic. But probably.
As mentioned above, the classic Turkish delight recipe includes only starch, sugar and water. Turkish delight with the addition of flower water or honey is considered more expensive.
The composition of the treat directly affects the calorie content of the finished product. Of course, more calories are contained in the product that contains nuts, chocolate, and dried fruits. 100 grams of such Turkish delight can contain more than 300 calories. For Turkish delight with nuts, it can be more than 350-370 calories. But, since it is cut into small pieces, on average one such cube contains approximately 35-38 calories.
The number of calories is also affected by the type of sugar: regular beet or cane, and how much of it is contained in the finished product.
Colored delight contains fruit syrup. Classic – traditionally white.
Regardless of whether regular Turkish delight without additives, with nuts or other fillers, this sweetness is a high-calorie product. And, therefore, no matter how indifferent you are to oriental sweets, you should not consume more than 50 grams, especially if you have a tendency to be overweight.
Even the biggest sweet tooth always wonders if there is any benefit to the sweets that they eat. They seem to be intended not for benefit, but for pleasure. Lokum is no exception in this regard. And yet, sweet tooth lovers should be pleased; there are certainly benefits, including in Turkish delight.
Firstly, it is a sweet product, which means it contains glucose. Glucose has a tonic effect and promotes the release of endorphins into the blood. This in turn has a positive effect on the cardiovascular system, brain, and improves mood.
To a greater extent, of course, the benefits of Turkish delight depend on the additives it contains. Honey has a beneficial effect on the entire body, improves blood composition, digestion and has many other beneficial properties.
Nuts are good for brain function, saturate the body with vitamins and minerals, and give a surge of strength and energy.
In ancient times, Turkish delight was considered a medicine. It was believed to improve potency and female sexuality. And the history of its origin indirectly speaks about this.
The name lukuma itself translates as “pleasure for the throat.” The mild taste and healthy additives make this sweet not only tasty, but also healthy. It may have once been the first chewable lozenge for sore throats.
The main harm from Turkish delight is its calorie content. Carbohydrates are quickly and completely absorbed by the body, which certainly affects the figure.
The additives contained in this product may cause an allergic reaction in some people.
This delicacy is contraindicated for patients with diabetes. True, now there are varieties of Turkish delight with sweeteners.
About the benefits and harms of Turkish delight in the video
