History of Turkish Delight

History of Turkish Delight

The Turkish delight which was an important part of the palace cuisine in the Ottoman period, has hundreds of years of history.  The sweet 'abhisa', which was frequently consumed by the Sassanites who ruled in the Persian Empire between 226 and 652 BC, although not certain but is known as root of Turkish delight. Lokum was first referred to as ‘rahat ul-hulküm’ in Arabic which means ‘comforting the throat’, but over time it became ‘comfortable delight’. And finally, it was called ‘lokum’ in modern Turkish.

Its recognition in the Anatolia began from the 15th century. It became the most popular in the 17th century. In the 18th century, the travelers took lokum to Europe and introduced it as 'Turkish Delight'. Lokum also gained popularity here. Mass production in the Ottoman Empire began in 1777. At first it was mixed with honey, fruit syrup and flour. With the invention of starch and refined sugar, the flavor has changed until today.