You'll be licking your fingers: delicious recipes for Turkish delight with photos, or what is the delicacy made from at home? Turkish delight at home, the best step-by-step recipes

This sweet oriental delicacy is popular all over the world: millions of tourists who visit Turkey bring it as a souvenir to their family and friends. Replicating the taste of dessert at home is not as easy as it might seem at first glance, but if you know the correct cooking technique, this task is feasible for any housewife.

What is Turkish delight made from?

There are many different types of Turkish delight, but they all have a similar base. The key ingredients of the dish are starch, sugar/molasses, and water. Turkish delight often includes all kinds of nuts. Previously, the delicacy was prepared only by specially trained masters - kandalatchi - who knew all the secrets of preparing Turkish delight. Today, the dessert recipe is available to any interested person, so you can prepare it yourself.

How to make Turkish delight at home

For those women who love cooking, the opportunity to make an original Turkish delicacy will be a holiday, since there are many variations of preparing Turkish delight: from classic white, to pumpkin, berry, nut, honey. At first glance, the recipe for Turkish delight is simple, since it involves using a minimum of ingredients, but the pastry chef will need to be patient to do everything correctly and get the expected result.

The basis of the dessert is thick, concentrated sugar syrup (molasses) mixed with starch paste. It is preferable to take the latter from corn rather than potato. The syrup for the delicacy is prepared with water, flower decoction or juice, and its quantity is arbitrary: each Turkish delight recipe can provide for a different volume of liquid. Often nuts and pieces of fruit are added to the dessert, and coconut flakes or powdered sugar mixed with starch are used as a topping.

Turkish delight with peanuts - recipe

• Cooking time: 1 hour.
• Calorie content of the dish: 400 Kcal/100 g.
• Purpose: dessert.
• Cuisine: oriental.

Sweets, as a rule, fall into the category of junk food, with the exception of Turkish delight with peanuts. Thanks to the natural composition of the product, it does more good than harm. A large number of calories in the dessert are due to glucose - the main source of energy for the human body and a key participant in the metabolic process. Sprinkle the pieces of Turkish delight with powdered sugar or coconut flakes on top.

Ingredients:

• starch - ½ tbsp.;
• peanuts – 100 g;
• sugar – 2 tbsp;
• citric acid – 1 tsp;
• powdered sugar - ¼ tbsp.;
• food coloring and flavoring;
• water – 2 tbsp.

Cooking method:

1. Peanuts should be roasted in a dry frying pan or in the oven at high temperature for 10 minutes.
2. Fill the pan with 1.5 tbsp. water, dissolve sugar and half of the prepared citric acid in it.
3. When the syrup boils, reduce the heat to high and continue to simmer the liquid until it acquires the color of caramel and the consistency of thick jelly.
4. Combine starch, remaining water and citric acid. Place the mixture over low heat and keep on the stove until ready (the mass should be translucent and thick).
5. Pour in the syrup and stir the mixture until smooth. Boil the resulting mixture for 15 minutes.
6. Add coloring, peanuts, flavoring. Pour the finished mixture into a lokum form lined with cling film and refrigerate for 8 hours. After hardening, cut the dessert into small pieces. Sprinkle them on each side with sweet powder.

Carrot Turkish Delight

• Cooking time: 1 hour.
• Number of servings: for 6 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 264 kcal/100 g.
• Purpose: dessert.
• Cuisine: oriental.
• Difficulty of preparation: medium.

The delicacy is prepared from different products (fillings) and for every taste. Below is an original recipe for preparing a dish with which you can make an unusual carrot Turkish delight. Such a sweet made from flour not only has a pleasant, incomparable taste and beautiful appearance, but is also beneficial because it contains a lot of vitamins and other valuable substances. How to make Turkish delight worthy of a Sultan?

Ingredients:

• water – 1/3 cup;
• coconut flakes – 100 g;
• peeled carrots – 0.5 kg;
• lemon zest – 30 g;
• starch – 180 g;
• walnuts – 150 g;
• sugar – 150 g.

Cooking method:

1. Carrots should be grated into fine grains, transferred to a saucepan, and pour 3 tbsp. l. water, add sugar. Turn on low heat, stir occasionally to prevent the vegetable from burning.
2. Grind the nuts and zest.
3. After about 15 minutes of boiling, the carrot shavings will change color to a lighter color, then you can add nuts and lemon zest to the saucepan.
4. Add 3 tbsp to starch. l. chilled water, stir the mixture thoroughly until it reaches the consistency of sour cream.
5. Mix the resulting mass with the contents of the saucepan. After holding it on the heat for a while, remove the container from the stove.
6. Take a suitable form. Cover the bottom with parchment, put the mass on top, distributing it evenly throughout the container.
7. When the mixture has cooled, cover the top of the mold with film, in which it is worth making several punctures with a toothpick to allow air to get inside.
8. Leave the product in the cold for 8 hours, then cut the frozen piece into small cubes approximately 2x2 centimeters in size. Roll them in coconut flakes.

Pumpkin Turkish Delight

• Cooking time: 1 hour.
• Number of servings: for 8 people.
• Purpose: dessert.
• Cuisine: oriental.
• Difficulty of preparation: medium.

Healthy Turkish delight made from homemade pumpkin is an ideal delicacy that you can occasionally pamper your children with. Preparing the product is not difficult: the cooking process does not require a lot of free time, and no expensive components are needed. This dessert can be consumed even with pancreatitis or other diseases associated with the digestive system. Below is a recipe with a photo of healthy Turkish delight.

Ingredients:

• lemon juice – 30 ml;
• sugar – 0.4 kg;
• water;
• pumpkin – 0.2 kg;
• potato starch - 2 tbsp.

Cooking method:

1. Cut the pumpkin into small slices.
2. Combine ½ cup of water with sugar, place the container on the fire and cook the syrup until the crystals are completely dissolved.
3. Add pumpkin pieces to the syrup, continuing to cook the product over moderate heat.
4. When the vegetable becomes soft, cool the product without removing it from the syrup.
5. Grind it to a homogeneous puree using a blender.
6. Add lemon juice to the resulting puree and mix thoroughly.
7. Place the puree back on the stove. Pour starch diluted with water into a saucepan with boiling mass (dissolve it in 400 ml of liquid, vigorously stirring the contents of the glass).
8. Continuously stir the ingredients while pouring in the starch, observing how quickly the contents of the bowl thicken.
9. Stir the mixture with a spatula for a few minutes to prevent lumps from forming, then remove the pan from the heat.
10. When the puree has cooled, pour it into a plastic container or suitable ceramic mold, which must first be greased with butter.
11. Place the product in the refrigerator for several hours, and after the dessert has hardened, place it on a flat plate and cut it into small cubes with a sharp knife, each of which should be rolled in sweet powder.

Turkish delight white

• Cooking time: 1 hour.
• Number of servings: for 6 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 350 kcal/100 g.
• Purpose: dessert.
• Cuisine: oriental.
• Difficulty of preparation: low.

White lokum (as the delicacy is called in Turkey) has a very delicate taste, so even the most picky sweet tooth will like it. Each master prepares the dessert in his own way, adding certain components, however, you can find a simple recipe for white Turkish delight on Turkish forums. At the same time, if you follow all the cooking rules, you will get a delicacy no worse than those sold in Turkey. How to cook a dish at home?

Ingredients:

• sugar – 7 tbsp. l.;
• whipped cream – 75 ml;
• semolina – 7 tbsp. l.;
• milk – 3 tbsp;
• grated coconut – 100 g;
• almonds, other nuts (optional).

Cooking method:

1. Mix sugar, semolina, and milk in a large bowl. Cook the mixture over low heat until thickened.
2. Let the mixture cool to room temperature, then pour in the whipped cream.
3. Refrigerate the dessert base for 40 minutes.
4. Then, using a spoon soaked in water, give the mixture a suitable shape. Dip each formed piece into coconut shavings, place on a dish, and decorate with nuts.

Turkish delight with pistachios

• Cooking time: 1 hour.
• Number of servings: for 7 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 327 kcal/100 g.
• Purpose: dessert.
• Cuisine: oriental.
• Difficulty of preparation: medium.

The national Turkish sweet, rahat lokum, is known all over the world. Traditionally, the dessert is served with coffee or tea, but it is equally delicious washed down with freshly squeezed juices or chilled milk. Pistachio delight has an unusual, pleasant taste, so many tourists strive to try the delicacy again. Below is the process of preparing Turkish delight with the addition of starch at home.

Ingredients:

• water – 1 tbsp.;
• sugar – 3.5 tbsp;
• pistachios – 200 g;
• citric acid – 20 g;
• powdered sugar;
• grated coconut;
• starch - 1 tbsp.;
• cinnamon.

Cooking method:

1. Mix water with granulated sugar and cook syrup. Add starch here, continuing to cook the mixture until thickened, then pour citric acid into it.
2. Place the pistachios on a baking sheet and pour the mixture over them. Sprinkle the remaining nuts on top.
3. When the product has cooled, cut it into small slices, roll first in powdered sugar, then in coconut flakes.

Turkish delight classic

• Cooking time: 1 hour.
• Calorie content of the dish: 316 kcal/100 g.
• Purpose: dessert.
• Cuisine: oriental.
• Difficulty of preparation: medium.

The finished delicacy looks like elastic pieces sprinkled with powdered sugar. They make such a treat for the palate from various fruit syrups, with all kinds of fillings, which explains the existing variety of types of Turkish delight. The classic recipe involves brewing a delicacy from rose petals. This component gives the dessert a beautiful color and gives it an incomparable delicate taste. You can eat this dish even during pregnancy or diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Below is a homemade recipe for classic Turkish delight.

Ingredients:

• starch - 1 tbsp.;
• lemon zest – 10 g;
• sugar – 1 tbsp;
• lemon juice – 1 tbsp. l.;
• powdered sugar;
• water – 2 tbsp.;
• rose water or rose petal jam – 3 tbsp. l.

Cooking method:

1. To make syrup, heat water and add sugar, lemon juice, and grated zest. When the contents of the pan come to a boil, reduce the heat and stir the mixture constantly until all the sugar has dissolved.
2. Pour rose water or jam into the resulting syrup, leave the dish on the stove for another 4 minutes, making sure that the syrup does not become too thick.
3. When the mixture acquires a beautiful caramel tone, dissolve the starch in chilled water, then pour it into the syrup in a thin stream and stir so that there are no lumps left.
4. Keep the ingredients on low heat until thickened.
5. Transfer the resulting mixture into a mold and let it cool (this will take about 5 hours).
6. Cut the Turkish delight into small cubes, each of which should be rolled on all sides in sweet powder.

Strawberry Turkish Delight

• Cooking time: 1 hour.
• Number of servings: for 3-4 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 164 kcal/100 g.
• Purpose: dessert.
• Cuisine: oriental.
• Difficulty of preparation: medium.

Sweet cubes of Turkish delight are somewhat similar to marmalade; adults and little ones with a sweet tooth eat them with pleasure. Since this dessert is relatively low in calories compared to others, you can indulge in it (in moderation) even while on a diet. A homemade recipe for strawberry Turkish delight involves the use of the main components - sugar and gelatin, but real Turkish chefs add agar-agar to the sweetness, thanks to which the dessert becomes viscous.

Ingredients:

• lemon – ½ piece;
• gelatin – 15 g;
• sweet powder – 150 g;
• strawberries – 0.2 kg.

Cooking method:

1. Grind the berries using a blender until smooth. Add gelatin to the component and leave it to swell in the juice.
2. Then add powdered sugar and the juice of half a citrus. Stir the mixture and heat over low heat, making sure that all the gelatin is dissolved (do not bring the mixture to a boil).
3. Remove the container from the heat, cool, and beat its contents with a mixer for 5 minutes.
4. Pour the resulting mixture into a suitable pan, previously lined with wax paper. Refrigerate the Turkish Delight for 5 hours or longer. Then cut the dessert into squares, sprinkle with sweet powder and serve with tea/coffee.

Turkish delight recipe

• Cooking time: 1 hour.
• Number of servings: for 5 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 320 kcal/100 g.
• Purpose: dessert.
• Cuisine: oriental.
• Difficulty of preparation: medium.

This oriental sweet can be eaten even by those who are watching their figure. If you use honey instead of sugar, then such a dessert will have even greater benefits for the body. Turkish Turkish delight also contains starch and almonds. You can store it in a tin or ceramic container with a lid. Below is a detailed description of how to prepare the delicacy at home.

Ingredients:

• powdered sugar – 50 g;
• sugar – 0.5 kg;
• vanillin – 5 g;
• water – 250 ml;
• corn starch – 50 g;
• syrup or honey - 2 tbsp. l.;
• rose oil – 1 g;
• lemon zest – 1 tsp;
• nuts – 50 g.

Cooking method:

1. Pour starch, previously soaked in boiled cold water (100 ml), into hot syrup made from 150 ml and half a kilogram of sugar.
2. Keep the mixture on the fire for 5 minutes, then turn the burner to low and continue stirring the liquid, watching how it gradually thickens.
3. Add butter, nuts, vanillin here, without stopping stirring the ingredients.
4. Pour the resulting mass onto a silicone baking sheet, let it cool for 5 hours, then divide into square pieces.
5. Sprinkle the dessert first with starch, then with sweet powder. This should be done so that the Turkish delight can be stored longer.

Apple Turkish Delight

• Cooking time: 1.5 hours.
• Number of servings: for 4 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 300 kcal/100 g
• Purpose: dessert.
• Cuisine: oriental.
• Difficulty of preparation: medium.

Fruit delicacies of Turkish origin often contain dyes and flavors that can cause allergic reactions in children, so it is better to make such desserts at home yourself, using only natural products. Turkish delight made from apples turns out tasty and aromatic, but it is better to use sweet varieties of the fruit. How to prepare the dish?

Ingredients:

• sugar – 50 g;
• corn starch – 120 g;
• walnuts – 50 g;
• water;
• coconut flakes;
• sweet apples – 4 pcs.

Cooking method:

1. Peel the apples, which are best washed first under warm water to get rid of the wax layer.
2. Take some water into a saucepan, add sugar, and cook the syrup.
3. Dip the peeled, chopped apples into it, reducing the heat to low.
4. To the simmering fruit pieces, add walnuts and starch dissolved in cold water (it should be added to the boiling mixture in a thin stream).
5. In order for the jam to acquire the desired transparency and homogeneity, stir the mixture constantly. Simmer it for at least an hour over low heat.
6. Pour the slightly cooled jam into a suitable form, wait for the product to cool, then cut the Turkish delight into small pieces, which should be rolled in coke shavings.

Chocolate Turkish Delight

• Cooking time: 2.2 hours.
• Number of servings: for 8 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 170 kcal/100 g.
• Purpose: dessert.
• Cuisine: oriental.
• Difficulty of preparation: medium.

Cooking Turkish delight is not very difficult, but it requires attention, patience, and diligence. Homemade delicacy is an excellent option for treating guests who come in for a cup of tea or coffee. It’s convenient to take Turkish sweets with you on a trip or to work, but it’s worth stocking up on more of them to treat your co-workers to dessert. How to make chocolate Turkish delight?

Ingredients:

• lemon;
• chocolate – 100 g;
• egg whites – 2 pcs.;
• powdered milk – 75 g;
• sugar – 1 kg;
• starch – 125 g;
• powdered sugar.

Cooking method:

1. The whites should be beaten until foamy.
2. Separately, combine dry milk with 1.5 tbsp. water, sugar, lemon juice and chocolate chips.
3. Add the whipped whites here.
4. Place the container over medium heat, wait until the mixture is almost boiling, stir it gently.
5. Dilute the starch with water (3 tbsp.), pour carefully into the chocolate mixture. Stirring constantly, wait until the products thicken.
6. Pour the base into the mold, let it harden, then sprinkle the dessert with sweet powder and cut into cubes.

What do you sprinkle on Turkish delight?

It is important not only to follow the technique of preparing a delicious Turkish delicacy, but also to take care of its safety. To prevent the finished starch sweet from losing its presentable appearance, the pieces must be sprinkled with a mixture of starch and powdered sugar. This, in addition, prevents them from sticking and loss of moisture from the dessert. Some chefs decorate the finished delight with grated coconut, chocolate, and multi-colored powder.

Video: Turkish delight with nuts

Oriental sweets and delicacies are known all over the world and are no less loved. Millions of tourists visiting Turkey strive to try the national delicacy of this country - Turkish delight. It is difficult, but possible, to replicate the aroma and taste of this sweet at home.

What is Turkish Delight made from?

The composition of the national Turkish dessert is very primitive: sugar syrup or sugar, fruits, berries, nuts, water and starch. Flour is an ingredient that is never added to Turkish delight. In oriental cuisine, starch, flour and molasses mixed together have a slightly different name - shaker delight.

In ancient times, such a delicacy was prepared only by specially trained people - shackles, who were the only ones who knew how to prepare it correctly.

Today, a huge assortment of ingredients, the popularization of oriental cuisine and the revelation of many years of secrets have made the Turkish Delight recipe accessible to every housewife in the world.

Turkish delight recipes

Making Turkish delight at home is easy. The recipe for the classic delicacy is available to many today, and homemade sweets bring much more benefits to the body than store-bought ones.

In addition, its calorie content is several times lower - after all, the composition contains only natural ingredients without flavorings, dyes and preservatives, which not only cause harm, but also increase the calorie content of Turkish delight.

To make your own Turkish delight, you need:

• Lemon zest and juice;
• Orange zest and juice;
• One and a half glasses of clean water;
• Three tablespoons of powdered sugar;
• Two thirds of a glass of starch;
• Scarlet food coloring;
• Mint essence – a few drops (added as desired).

So, Turkish delight is prepared with minimal calorie content and bright taste according to the following recipe:

1. Citrus zest is placed in a thick-walled pan and filled with a mixture of lemon and orange juices. Powder and water are also sent there. The zest from citrus fruits is cut into thin long strips using a special fruit knife - this makes it easier to remove it from the pan at the end of cooking.
2. Stirring constantly, cook the mixture over low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved, and then bring to a boil.
3. The flame is reduced to a minimum as soon as the mixture begins to boil. It should stand on this fire for five minutes. You can’t interfere with it at this time.
4. The mixture of dye and starch is poured with half a glass of water.
5. Warm water is poured into gelatin and left to swell for 15 minutes. The same amount of water is added to the already swollen gelatin. The container with the mixture is placed in a water bath. As a result of heating and constant stirring, a thick, stretchy mass should be obtained. Under no circumstances should gelatin boil. If it has not completely dissolved, then filter the cooled mass.
6. Gelatin mass and colored starch are mixed with the remaining ingredients.
7. In a saucepan, cook all the ingredients over medium heat, stirring occasionally. As a result of heating, the mass should become glossy. At the very end, add mint flavor and mix everything thoroughly.
8. The citrus zest is carefully removed from the mass, which is poured into a pre-prepared dish.
9. The form with Turkish delight is put into the refrigerator for 6 hours. The finished delicacy is sprinkled with powdered sugar and served cut into pieces to the table.

Simple Turkish Delight Recipe

To prepare a dessert according to this recipe, you only need to spend one hour, unlike the classic version, which requires at least several hours.

At home, Turkish delight with nuts is made from the following products:

• A third of a glass of starch;
• Two glasses of sugar;
• A teaspoon of citric acid;
• 100 grams of nuts;
• Two glasses of water;
• A quarter cup of powdered sugar;
• Flavoring or food essence;
• Food coloring.

Preparation procedure:

1. The nuts are roasted in the oven at a temperature of 200 o C for 10 minutes.
2. One and a half glasses of water are poured into a saucepan with thick walls, in which citric acid and sugar are dissolved.
3. The sugar syrup is brought to a boil, after which the heat is reduced and the liquid is reduced. This is done until the characteristic caramel shade and thick consistency appear.
4. The remaining citric acid is mixed with starch and water.
5. Starch diluted with water is boiled over low heat until completely cooked. The finished mass should be almost transparent and thick in consistency.
6. Sugar syrup is slowly poured into the starch in a thin stream and mixed thoroughly without removing from the heat.
7. The mixture is boiled over low heat for 20 minutes, after which nuts, coloring and flavorings are added to it.
8. The form into which the Turkish delight will be poured is covered with foil, film or special baking paper.
9. The sweet is cooled in the refrigerator for 8 hours, after which it is cut and sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Turkish delight: harm or benefit?

Not all desserts and sweets are beneficial to the body, but this Turkish delicacy is a pleasant exception to the rule. The composition of Turkish delight (natural, consisting of honey, nuts and natural juices) includes a large amount of glucose, which is the main source of energy for the body and a substance involved in metabolism.

Disturbances in the functioning of organ systems and individual organs are the result of an acute lack of glucose. In addition, Turkish delight, like any other sweet, promotes the production of serotonin, the happiness hormone.

However, the benefits of Turkish delight go hand in hand with harm: uncontrolled consumption of sweets can cause health problems and excess weight due to the high calorie content of the dish and large amounts of glucose and sugar.

The calorie content of Turkish delight is very high (which, however, is typical for any sweets) and amounts to 316 kcal per 100 grams. Oriental delicacies are not recommended for those diagnosed with diabetes, since excessive consumption increases blood sugar levels.

Secrets of making Turkish delight

Pieces of oriental delicacy must be sprinkled with starch or powdered sugar - this way they do not stick to each other and retain their attractive appearance.

Probably most people love sweets to one degree or another. Such food products are not suitable in a house where there are children; they are eaten just like that, as a snack with tea and other drinks. Many of us are sure that sweets simply cannot be healthy. However, in fact, there are many products of this type that not only have a natural composition, but also can provide health benefits. One of them is the famous and beloved Turkish delight. Let's talk about the features of this sweetness, try to analyze its composition in detail and reveal the secret of its preparation.

Legends claim that Turkish delight was invented specifically for the voluptuous Sultan, who was a great admirer of the female sex. And in fact, the beneficial qualities of this sweetness include the ability to positively influence potency, as well as add energy to the body for intimate life.

What is the composition of Turkish delight?

Turkish delight is a fairly famous oriental sweet. Its main composition includes molasses, sugar, and starch. Flavoring notes are provided by the addition of a variety of auxiliary ingredients, for example, berry or fruit juice, nuts, fresh berries, chocolate, candied fruits, vanilla, coconut flakes, etc.

The classic recipe for preparing Turkish delight involves a process lasting two days, so it is quite difficult to create it on your own and at home, but a strong desire and hard work works wonders. The main secret of the correct preparation of Turkish delight is scrupulous and constant mixing of the sweet mass, as well as the correct observance of a long period of its hardening.

How to cook Turkish delight? Recipe

At the first stage of this culinary process, you need to take four hundred milliliters of water, infused with rose petals for some time, as well as four glasses of sugar. To these ingredients you need to add another tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Place this mixture over high heat and bring it to a boil (this will take about ten minutes). Remove the resulting syrup from the stove and cool. Next, proceed to the second stage of preparation, which consists of whisking three glasses of water with one glass of starch, as well as a teaspoon of cream of tartar. Place the finished mixture on low heat and heat to a boil, stirring constantly - this will help prevent the formation of lumps. After the mixture boils, pour the pre-cooled syrup into it in a thin stream. Don't stop stirring the future Turkish delight. The third stage consists of boiling such a sweet mass at a temperature of about eighty degrees. This process lasts at least several hours, with constant stirring. The mass should thicken and turn golden. This will be a signal that the saucepan can be removed from the heat.

So, you move on to the last stage, which involves the transformation of a sweet and very thick mass into the most delicious sweet of the east. You can mix some nuts, candied fruits, vanilla, grated chocolate and other ingredients into the container, which are selected depending on the preferences of the cook. The volume of such additional ingredients can reach a third of the volume of the entire sweet mass.

Next, the warm and still liquid Turkish delight must be placed on parchment, spread on a baking sheet and greased with vegetable oil. In order to distribute this mass evenly, it is recommended to shake and rock the pan a little. Then cover the future sweet with plastic wrap and leave until it hardens. After about twelve hours, you can give the Turkish delight the desired shape, using special molds or an ordinary sharp knife. Afterwards, the treat should be sprinkled with a mixture of sweet powder and starch. You can also use coconut flakes for this. It is advisable to store it in special containers or simply in a paper wrapper.

What is the benefit of Turkish delight?

Turkish delight contains a lot of glucose, which stimulates the activity of the heart and also the brain. This substance also activates the production of endorphins, the so-called hormones that improve mood and performance levels. Glucose in Turkish delight has a positive effect on hair condition and intestinal motility. It also has a positive effect on the immune system, helping our body cope with colds and viral infections.

The benefits of this oriental sweet also depend on what additional ingredients are included in its composition. For example, honey has a positive effect on blood quality and digestive processes, and lemons and oranges perfectly stimulate the immune system, and berry or fruit juices nourish the body with a variety of vitamins and minerals.

What's the harm in Turkish delight??

Intolerance to components.

What is the calorie content of Turkish delight?

Like most sweets, the calorie content of Turkish delight is quite high. One hundred grams of this product is approximately three hundred and fifty calories. Thus, you should not eat it in significant quantities if you do not want to gain weight. The optimal daily amount will be no more than fifty grams. It is precisely the excessive caloric content and large amounts of sugar that are harmful to Turkish delight, because it can lead to excess weight gain, and this sweetness is also contraindicated for diabetics.

Turkish delight is a famous delicacy that you can easily prepare with your own hands.

Several varieties of nuts, coconut flakes and other additives. The most popular was Turkish delight, which, for greater consumer convenience, began to be called simply “Lukum”.

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

What you need to know about the oriental dessert

Turkish delight is an invention of Turkish confectioners, which for a long time was prepared exclusively within the country. In the 19th century, the sweet was finally able to see the world thanks to chance and one British traveler. A young man traveling around 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 part 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 nuts, sweet syrup, dried fruits, coconut flakes. The dish attracts not only its taste, but also its appearance. Turkish delight is served in the form of elastic cubes, which are sprinkled with powdered sugar/coconut flakes/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 toppings.

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

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

Classification of Turkish delight by shape/size:

• cubic or traditional;
• for children (figurines of animals or objects are cut out of an elastic mass to interest the baby and diversify food intake);
• roll;
• threaded;
• whole (most often whole layers are served at large-scale celebrations, so that each guest can independently choose the serving size);
• Arabic (solid layer in the shape of a parallelepiped);
• two-layer (consists of several layers and combinations of flavors).

Classification of Turkish delight by type of filler:

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

Brief etymological note

The name, like the sweet itself, has Turkish roots. The Turkish "rahat" translates as pleasure, comfort, happiness or convenience. “Lokom” is the plural of the word “lokma”, which translates as 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 translated means pleasure for the sky.

Historical reference

The age of Turkish delight has long exceeded 500 years. It was originally prepared from plain water, sugar, starch and rose petal essence.

There are several popular versions of creating Turkish delight. One of them describes the rivalry between Turkish court chefs. Each of them strived to surprise the Sultan with new dishes every day and become the main one in the palace kitchen. Among the quarrels, intrigues, and 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 inaccessibility, he used several popular original recipes that invariably worked. One day he wanted to surprise his mistresses. He ordered the court chef to prepare something completely new, which neither he nor his women had ever tried. Thanks to the ingenuity and gastronomic talent of the cook, Turkish delight appeared.

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

This story looks most plausible, because the Turkish court pastry chef Ali Muhiddin Haji Bekir actually worked in Istanbul at the end of the 18th century. Some consider him the creator of the dessert, others - the man who improved the original recipe and created new varieties of Turkish delight.

In 1897, the grandson of pastry chef Haji Bekir introduced Turkish delight to the European public. The acquaintance took place at the Brussels exhibition. Europeans loved the oriental sweet so much that Turkish delight received a gold medal at the exhibition. And the grandson of the mysterious confectioner concluded several lucrative contracts for the supply of sweets to Europe. Today, the dessert is produced on an industrial scale in more than 50 countries around the world, but East Asia retains its primacy.

Calorie table for different types of Turkish delight

Useful properties of the product

The benefits are determined by the composition, method of industrial processing and the amount of product consumed. Nut, coconut and pink delight will differ radically not only in taste and, 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 substances that have a beneficial effect on libido and sexual function. Pistachio kernels are a real treasure trove, and. These elements are quite difficult to obtain from plant foods, which increases 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 visual organs. The composition of pistachios is abundant, which will help neutralize the harm of sugar and preservatives.

Can the product be classified as a healthy food?

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

• obesity;
• diabetes mellitus;
• increase in visceral fat volumes;
• internal inflammatory processes;
• malfunctions 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 “pure” composition and natural ingredients. But if the taste of healthy Turkish delight does not please you as much as industrial Turkish delight with an abundance of sugar, then do not deny yourself the pleasure. Our body can easily tolerate 15-20% of junk food in our diet, provided that the remaining 80% consists of quality meat, vegetables, fruits, fish, whole grains and water. The main thing is not to overdo it and eat no more than 20% of the harmful substances. Then sugar/preservatives will not affect your health or your waistline (provided you are completely healthy and on weight maintenance).

Another way to get the most benefit and pleasure from 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 sugar, add more freshly squeezed juice, nuts, fresh fruits and berries, creating a real vitamin bomb for the body.

Recipe for traditional and dietary strawberry Turkish delight

Traditional

We will need:

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

Preparation

In a small container, combine cornstarch and 125 milliliters of cold filtered water. In a clean saucepan, combine sugar, remaining cold water and. Place the pan over low heat and bring to a boil. As soon as the contents of the pan boil, add diluted cornstarch and cook for 15 minutes, stirring constantly.

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

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

Dietary (strawberry)

We will need:

• - 200 grams;
• powdered sugar – 150 grams;
• instant – 15 grams;
• half .

Preparation

Puree 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 it swells. As soon as the mass has swollen, add 120 grams of powdered sugar and the juice of half a lemon. Mix the mixture thoroughly and place on low heat. Stir the contents constantly and simmer 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 finished mixture from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Beat the cooled mass with a mixer for 5-7 minutes: it will immediately lighten and become thicker. Pour the mixture into a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate for several hours until set. The finished dish needs to be cut and decorated with coconut shavings/nuts.

Turkish delight is a traditional, perhaps the most famous oriental sweet. All oriental recipes are not particularly difficult to prepare, but, nevertheless, they invariably have an excellent, incomparable taste and aroma. It is precisely Turkish delight that is the clearest confirmation of this rule; it is not for nothing that in the East this magnificent sweetness is called nothing more than “a piece of pleasure.” To prepare Turkish delight, you need the simplest, most affordable, and most importantly natural products. No flavor enhancers, animal fat or palm oil for you! That is why Turkish delight belongs to the category of ecological, healthy confectionery products. In addition, Turkish delight, made on a purely plant basis, is a real treat for vegetarians or people who observe strict fasting.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fruit or berry puree
• 300 gr. Sahara
• 200 ml. water for syrup + 150 ml. water for starch
• 1 cup cornstarch + 2 tbsp. for sprinkling
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

• First, prepare the sugar syrup. To do this, pour 200 ml into a ladle or small saucepan. water, add sugar.

• Add a spoon of lemon juice.

• Stirring, heat, and then boil for 5-10 minutes. In this case, the sugar completely dissolves, and the resulting syrup thickens slightly. The finished syrup for Turkish delight should leave clearly visible streaks on the walls of the saucepan.
• While the sugar syrup is boiling, we have time to prepare fruit or berry puree. Any fruit and berries are suitable for puree. Of course, it’s very beautiful when there are multi-colored cubes of Turkish delight in a vase or on a tray, but to achieve this, you will have to tinker and prepare several servings of sweetness, each time using a new fruit base. For red Turkish delight, strawberry or cranberry puree is suitable, for green - from kiwi, for yellow - from apricots, peaches or oranges, for purple - from black currant or chokeberry. Moreover, you can use both fresh and canned fruits.
• As a first try, I suggest making Turkish delight from orange. This is my favorite option. The result is an incredibly fragrant sweetness with a slight sourness. Although, what am I explaining to you, my dear readers, you all remember the taste of orange marmalade very well!
• To prepare orange puree, peel the orange and divide it into slices. Grind the slices with a blender until a homogeneous mass is obtained.

• Pour the orange puree into the syrup standing on the fire.

• In the version with orange, there is no need to strain the puree, since the orange is completely ground with a blender knife, but if you are preparing Turkish delight from kiwi or other berries containing small seeds, then I advise you to rub the puree through a coarse sieve to remove seeds or large pieces of skin.
• After we put the fruit puree into the syrup, mix the resulting mixture well and boil for a few more minutes.
• Dilute starch in 150 ml. water. Mix thoroughly until completely dissolved.

• Pour the starch solution into the sugar-orange syrup in a thin stream and continue to cook over low heat.

• Without ceasing, stir the mixture with a wooden spatula. The starch-fruit mixture begins to thicken very quickly. Moreover, it thickens not throughout the entire volume, but by forming separate clots. This is fine. We continue to vigorously stir and soon the clots will grow and combine into a thick paste.

• You need to be vigilant to ensure that nothing burns; if this happens, reduce the heat.
• After 3-5 minutes, the paste will thicken so much that mixing it will become quite difficult. This means that our Turkish delight has been cooked and now after cooling it will harden well and will not become soggy.
• At the end of cooking, place the mixture in a flat cooking dish, previously generously sprinkled with starch. The shape can be any: glass, silicone, detachable, etc. The dimensions of the mold should be such that the prepared mixture forms a layer 2.5-3 cm thick on it.

• To make the surface of the mixture smooth and without bumps, lightly sprinkle it with starch and then press it down with a spoon. Thanks to starch, the mixture does not stick to the spoon.

• Let the form with hot Turkish delight cool at room temperature for 10-12 hours.
• After cooling, cover the mold with a cutting board and turn the entire structure upside down. The layer of Turkish delight is very easily separated from the mold and dumped onto the board.
• A layer of Turkish delight is cut with a sharp knife into square pieces measuring 2.5-3 cm. Considering that the thickness of the layer was approximately the same, the result is nice, even cubes.

• Roll the Turkish delight cubes in cornstarch, shake off the excess, then repeat this operation, but with powdered sugar. You can add more powdered sugar and even sprinkle it generously on our sun cubes, this is an additional protection against sticking.

• That's all, the magnificent fruity Turkish delight is ready. You can enjoy the taste and imagine yourself in the exotic east. Yes, one more little thing: it is better to store Turkish delight in a vase with a lid or a closed taper in a cool place, away from sunlight.