Lukum

Lukum is an oriental dessert that is made in several variations. Shaker Delight is made from flour, while Turkish Delight is made from sugar. Starch, several varieties of nuts, coconut flakes and other additives are added to both sweets. It was Turkish delight that gained the greatest popularity, which, for greater convenience of consumers, began to be called simply “lokum”.

How did sweetness appear, what is included in its composition, and can Turkish delight be classified as a healthy food?

What you need to know about oriental dessert

Lokum is an invention of Turkish confectioners, which for a long time was prepared exclusively within the country. In the XNUMXth century, sweetness was finally able to see the world thanks to a chance and a British traveler. A young man traveling the world was delighted with Turkish Delight and wanted to bring the dessert home. The Western world appreciated the oriental sweetness. Today, there are dozens of industrial enterprises that produce Turkish delight and sell it in every corner of the planet.

Interesting: Pablo Picasso claimed that it was the oriental dessert that helped him concentrate on creativity, and Napoleon and Winston Churchill called pistachio delight “the king of desserts.”

The product is prepared using a special technology from sugar, starch and variable ingredients such as honey, nuts, sweet syrup, dried fruits, coconut flakes. The dish attracts not only taste, but also appearance. Turkish Delight is served in the form of elastic cubes, which are sprinkled with powdered sugar / coconut / cocoa or almond petals.

The classic and most popular Turkish delight recipe contains rose water. It gives the product a delicate pink hue and a sweet exotic taste. There are hundreds of varieties of dessert, which depend on the filling, shape and fillings.

Interesting: the fourth chapter of the book by Clayk Staples Lewis “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” (the Chronicles of Narnia cycle) is called “Turkish Delight”.

Varieties of rahat-lukuma

There are two main classifications of the product: by shape / size and by type of filler.

Turkish delight classification by shape/size:

• cubic or traditional;
• children’s (figures of animals or objects are cut out of the elastic mass in order to interest the baby and diversify the meal);
• roll;
• threaded;
• whole (most often, whole layers are served at large-scale holidays so that each guest can independently choose the portion size);
• Arabic (solid layer in the form of a parallelepiped);
• two-layer (consists of several layers and combinations of flavors).

Classification of Turkish delight by type of filler:

• fruity (the most healthy version of the dessert, which contains fruit juice or pulp instead of sugar. The taste of the finished dish is rich, and the texture is denser);
• nut (most often use hazelnuts, peanuts and pistachios);
• pink (with rose petals and rose water);
• white (contains only sugar, starch and filtered water);
• honey;
• fig;
• “Vizier” (it is prepared according to a special principle so that when cut in the center of the delight there is a round trace of the filling or nut. Outwardly, such a delight resembles an eye).

Brief etymological reference

The name, like the sweet itself, has Turkish roots. Turkish “rahat” translates as pleasure, comfort, happiness or convenience. “Lokom” is the plural of the word “lokma”, which translates as a piece. The literal translation of the name is a piece of pleasure / happiness. Some also associate the name with the Arabic ‏راحة الحلقوم (rahat al-hulqum), which translates to pleasure for the sky.

Historical information

The age of Turkish delight has long exceeded 500 years. Initially, it was prepared from ordinary water, sugar, starch and essence from rose petals.

There are several popular versions of the creation of Turkish delight. One of them describes the rivalry of Turkish court chefs. Each of them strove to surprise the Sultan with new dishes every day and become the main one in the palace kitchen. Among the quarrels, intrigues, the eternal search for the perfect recipe, Turkish delight appeared.

Another legend tells of a voluptuous sultan who received the favor of his chosen ones through desserts. As a “weapon” against female impregnability, he used several running original recipes that invariably worked. Once he wanted to surprise his mistresses. He ordered the court cook to prepare something completely new, which neither he nor his women had ever tasted. Thanks to the ingenuity and gastronomic talent of the chef, Turkish delight appeared.

The third popular theory points to a famous Turkish confectioner who, with great effort and love, opened his own confectionery shop and then became the court chef. The confectioner’s shop was in Istanbul. Every day and every night, hundreds of people crowded around him who wanted to try unique sweets. Such excitement interested the Sultan as well. They brought him several sweets for testing, after which the folk confectioner received money, fame and a place in the palace kitchen.

This story looks the most plausible, because the Turkish court confectioner Ali Muhyiddin Hadji Bekir really worked in Istanbul at the end of the XNUMXth century. Some consider him the creator of the dessert, others – the person who improved the original recipe and created new varieties of Turkish delight.

In 1897, the grandson of the confectioner Hadji Bekir introduced Turkish delight to the European public. Acquaintance happened at the Brussels exhibition. Eastern sweetness was so fond of Europeans that Turkish delight received a gold medal at the exhibition. And the grandson of the mysterious confectioner signed several lucrative contracts for the supply of sweets to Europe. Today, dessert is produced on an industrial scale in more than 50 countries around the world, but East Asia retains the lead.

Calorie table of different types of Turkish delight

Useful properties of the product

The benefits are determined by the composition, the method of industrial processing and the amount of product consumed. Walnut, coconut and pink delight will differ dramatically not only in taste and calorie content, but also in the set of useful nutrients. To determine the quality and possible effect of the product – study the composition.

For example, pistachio Turkish delight is a natural aphrodisiac. It contains specific enzymes that have a beneficial effect on libido and sexual function. Pistachio kernels are a real storehouse of vitamin B6, copper and manganese. These elements are difficult to obtain from plant foods, which adds to the value of pistachio delight. Due to phenolic compounds, sweetness will help maintain youth and health of the body, and with the help of lutein and zeaxanthin, strengthen the bone skeleton and the functionality of the organs of vision. The composition of pistachios is replete with fiber, which will help neutralize the harm of sugar and preservatives.

Is it possible to classify the product as a healthy food?

It depends on the composition of each particular Turkish Delight. Industrial sweets often contain cheap low-quality starch and refined white sugar. They contain virtually no nutrients. These are empty calories that provoke sugar surges, an increase in body fat and malfunctions of all body systems. Excessive consumption of processed foods can lead to:

• obesity;
• diabetes;
• increase in visceral fat;
• internal inflammatory processes;
• failures in the work of organs and a decrease in their productivity;
• early aging of the body;
• acne, allergic rashes.

Can this be avoided? Yes. Keep track of the composition of the food that goes into your grocery basket, and then into the esophagus. Choose the most organic products with a “clean” composition and natural ingredients. But if the taste of healthy Turkish delight does not please you as much as the industrial one with an abundance of sugar, then do not deny yourself the pleasure. Our body can easily tolerate 15-20% junk food in the diet, as long as the other 80% consists of quality meats, vegetables, fruits, fish, whole grains and water. The main thing is not to overdo it and eat no more than 20% of harmful things. Then the sugar/preservatives won’t affect your health or your waistline (assuming you’re completely healthy and on weight maintenance).

Another way to get the most out of Turkish delight is to make it yourself. You can vary not only the taste, but also the quality of the ingredients. Refined sugar can be easily replaced with coconut, add more freshly squeezed juice, nuts, fresh fruits and berries to the composition, creating a real vitamin bomb for the body.

Recipe for traditional and dietary strawberry Turkish Delight

Traditional

We need:

• corn starch – 5 tablespoons;
• orange fresh – 130 milliliters;
• sugar (it is best to use coconut or brown) – 500 grams;
• filtered water – 250 milliliters;
• rose water – 1 teaspoon;
• pistachios (can be replaced with your favorite nut) – 500 grams;
• icing sugar / cinnamon / coconut for decoration.

Preparation

In a small bowl, combine corn starch and 125 ml of cold filtered water. In a clean saucepan, combine sugar, remaining cold water, and orange juice. Place the saucepan over low heat and bring to a boil. As soon as the contents of the pan boil, pour diluted cornstarch into it and cook for 15 minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove the container from the stove, add rose water, pre-chopped pistachios into it and mix the contents thoroughly. You will get a thick mass that cannot hold its shape on its own. Pour it into a baking sheet with high sides and leave overnight at room temperature.

By morning, the sugar-nut mass will harden. Cut it into small squares, roll each in coconut / powder / cinnamon or other ingredients. It is best to store ready-made Turkish delight in tightly closed paper bags.

Diet (strawberry)

We need:

• strawberries – 200 grams;
• powdered sugar – 150 grams;
• instant gelatin – 15 grams;
• half a lemon.

Preparation

Blend fresh/thawed strawberries in a blender. Freezing will not affect the taste of the finished dish in any way, so strawberry delight can be prepared all year round. Add instant gelatin to the whipped strawberry mass and leave for a while until swelling. As soon as the mass is swollen, add 120 grams of powdered sugar and the juice of half a lemon. Stir the mixture thoroughly and put on a slow fire. Stir the contents constantly and boil until the gelatin is completely dissolved.

Important: the mixture must be heated, but not brought to a boil. If the liquid boils, you will have to redo the Turkish delight, since it will not be possible to achieve the desired consistency.

Remove the mixture from heat and let cool to room temperature. Beat the chilled mass with a mixer for 5-7 minutes: it will immediately brighten and become thicker. Pour the mixture into a baking sheet with high sides and refrigerate for several hours until set. The finished dish needs to be cut and decorated with chocolate / coconut / nuts.