turkish delight

Turkish Delight
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For other uses, see Turkish Delight (disambiguation).

A display of Turkish Delight in IstanbulTurkish Delight, lokum, or loukoum is a confection made from starch and sugar. It is often flavored with rosewater and lemon, the former giving it a characteristic pale pink color. It has a soft, jelly-like and sometimes sticky consistency, and is often packaged and eaten in small cubes that are dusted with sugar or copra to prevent sticking. Some types contain small nut pieces, usually pistachio, hazelnut or walnuts. Other common types include flavors such as cinnamon or mint.

Contents
1 Origin
2 Name
3 Around the world
4 In popular culture
5 References
6 External links



[edit] Origin

A tray of Turkish DelightReay Tannahill suggests that the Persian confection ahbisa (jelly) was the ancestor of Turkish rahat lokum, the long name for the sweet.[1]

According to the Ali Muhiddin Hacı Bekir Company of Istanbul, founded in 1777, lokum was popularized by them during the 19th century.[2]

Lokum was introduced to the west in the 19th century. An unknown Briton became very fond of the delicacy during his travels to Istanbul, and purchased cases of lokum, to be shipped back to Britain under the name Turkish Delight. It became a major delicacy not only in Britain, but throughout continental Europe.[citation needed]


[edit] Name
The Turkish word lokum may come from lokma in Turkish or لقوم lukuum, the Arabic plural of لقمة luqma(t) 'morsel' or 'mouthful'[3]. Alternatively, it may have derived from Ottoman rahat hulkum or Arabic راحة الحلقم rahat al-hulkum 'contentment of the throat' [4][5]. In Libya, for example, it is known as حلقوم ḥalgūm.

In English, it was formerly called "lumps of delight".[6]


[edit] 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. It is also the basis for most of Liberty Orchards' line of confectionery, including Aplets & Cotlets and is the state candy of Washington. It is known in Brazil (called rahat) due to Lebanese immigration.

Armenian, Cypriot, Greek (called "λουκούμι", loukoumi), Albanian, Bulgarian, Macedonian (Albanian: "llokum", Bulgarian and Macedonian: "локум", lokum), Romanian (called "rahat"), Russia as well as in some former Yugoslav states like Bosnia and Herzegovina (called "rahat lokum"), or Serbia ("ратлук", ratluk), Iranian and other Middle Eastern cuisines also have sweets similar to Turkish delight.

Jelly desserts are also common in Asia, but they are entirely different from the composition of Turkish Delight and that of other Middle Eastern cuisines: Korean chapssaeltteok, similar to Japanese mochi, is a sweet cake made from sticky rice and usually filled with sweet red bean paste. China has a similar cake too, usually using sesame paste as well as red beans. The Malaysian version, the sticky 'dodol' is made with rice flour, palm sugar and santan (coconut milk). It is sometimes flavoured with the durian fruit.


[edit] In popular culture
Turkish Delight is the addictive confection to which Edmund Pevensie succumbs in The Lion, the
Turkish delight as Koyuncu triumphs in U23 race
09 December 2007
Kemal Koyuncu became the first Turkish man to strike gold at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships when he upset the form book to win in Toro.

Koyuncu had shown his credentials earlier this summer when he had finished third in the European Athletics U23 Championships 5,000m but few pundits had him as having anything other than an outside medal chance in a packed field that included a whole host of talented runners.

However, the relatively modest early pace left Koyuncu with plenty of energy and when he made his break for home just after six kilometres, it proved to be a decisive move.

There were still more than 20 runners bunched together at 5km with some of the faces at the front including Russia's Yevgeniy Rybakov, Italy's 2006 Junior Champion Andrea Lalli and Portugal's Nuno Costa. Serbia's Dusko Markesevic, the 2006 U23 silver medallist, was tucked back in the pack using his rivals as a wind break as was Britain's Andy Vernon, the 2005 Junior silver medallist.

The Netherlands' Michel Butter appeared to decide that it was time to speed things up at six kilometres and he made a surge which caught the rest of the leaders by surprise. The field then immediately fell into single file and small packs.

However, Butter's big for glory lasted barely 500m before Koyuncu overhauled him and the Turk quickly stretched his lead to 50m at the bell, which indicated 1,500m to go in the 8,200m race.

"I didn't expect such a powerful attack by the Turkish guy. I must say, I didn't know him very well," said Rybakov, expressing the sentiments of many of the favourites.

Behind Koyuncu, a quartet formed consisting of Rybakov, Butter, Lalli and Ireland's Andrew Ledwith which stayed together for a brief period before Rybakov started to chase Koyuncu.

Finishing fast as well was Vernon who moved up from sixth place with a kilometre remaining to get up on the shoulder of Rybakov.

"I tried my best to chase Koyuncu but it soon became clear that this was going to be a waste of energy and I concentrated on retaining second place because I knew the Englishman, who was approaching fast, would be dangerous. I think I made the right decision," added Rybakov, the 2002 and 2003 Junior Champion.

The enthralling battle between Rybakov and Vernon brought them closer to Koyuncu, who had anxiously been looking over his shoulder several times in the final kilometre, and briefly it looked as though they were going to catch him but the line came too quickly for either of them to deprive him of the gold medal and wipe the broad smile off his face.

Koyuncu stopped the clock at 24:31 with Rybakov getting the fourth individual medal of his career at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in second place with 24:33.

Vernon ran out of steam in the final 150m and finished two seconds further back but can take considerable pride in the fact that his efforts on the final lap brought Great Britain the team gold medals.

Britain had 52 points and got all their four men home in the top 19 places, just edging out Poland who had the same points but a lower placed fourth scorer. Russia finished third with 65 points.

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