Eastern sweets always seduce the sweet tooth with their recipe and sophistication. Turkish delight with its long history is no exception. This dessert is one of the most ancient and has managed to acquire legends of its origin.
Legend 1. Turkish Sultan
A certain Turkish sultan, who lived many hundreds of years ago, paved the way to the hearts of women through exquisite dishes. Every time he wanted to conquer a new beauty, he had to come up with recipes that he hadn’t heard of before and that would surpass the previous ones in performance, taste and exoticism.
So, once again, the Sultan’s chef had an idea, which he happily embodied for a romantic meal. It was amber, delicious Turkish delight.
Legend 2. Court cook
This legend is full of the spirit of rivalry and Turkish delight became a favorite of the competition between the two royal court chefs, each of whom wanted to take the place of chef in the Sultan’s kitchen. This is how the dessert was born from starch, syrup, dried fruits and nuts.
Legend 3. Istanbul confectioner
This story awards the authorship of Turkish Delight to the famous Turkish pastry chef Bekir Efendi. He was the owner of a pastry shop in Istanbul and the fame of him as a brilliant pastry chef quickly spread outside the city. In his kitchen, masterpieces were born, one of which is Turkish delight, for which whole queues of townspeople and guests of the city lined up in the morning.
Why Turkish delight
Historians do not give an unambiguous answer who was the first to come up with the name of this dessert and what it actually means. There are as many versions of the origin of the name as there are versions of the origin of the delicacy itself.
Most scholars insist that the word Turkish delight is borrowed from Arabic and translates as “throat satisfaction”; or Turkish – “a piece of satisfaction.”
What’s next
So, despite the history of its origin, Turkish delight quickly won the hearts of the public with its triumphant appearance. It became fashionable to eat this dessert and it was very prestigious to treat Turkish delight at all social events. He was taken as a gift and a present, and treated to his beloved and the most dear to the heart of the people.
Of course, such popularity could not escape the royal palace and Turkish delight came to the court – the sultan was delighted with the delicate texture, taste and aroma of this dessert.
For a long time Turkish delight did not leave the borders of Turkey, its recipe was strictly preserved by the country, and the delicacy did not leave the country. Until, in the 19th century, a British traveler, delighted with the taste of Turkish delight, sent a box of sweets to himself in the UK. He came up with a name for it, under which Turkish delight is still known all over the world – “Turkish Delight” or “Turkish pleasure”.
For many celebrities Turkish delight has become a significant dessert in their lives: Picasso drew inspiration from him, Napoleon considered the dessert worthy of a conqueror’s rest, Churchill also respected Turkish delight for its unusual light structure.
The writer Lewis, in his book The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, extols Turkish delight as the sweetness for which little Edmond betrayed his brothers – it was so impossible to refuse it.
Is rahat-lukum useful?
This is a rare case when such a delicious dessert is still a useful addition to your diet.
Turkish delight is credited with the power of male potency, the nuts included in its composition prevent hypertension, obesity, insomnia, lower cholesterol, coconut will support the urinary system, sweetness and starch will give the necessary energy and a boost of vivacity, and fruits and natural juice are a source of vitamins and useful elements.