Turkish Delight

Without aid from some sort of reference one cannot easily describe the amazing treat known as loukoum, (Turkish Delight). Personally I would describe the confectionery to have a texture slightly more course then that of dry jello, a flavor that is not of excessive sweetness, and a unique translucent color that depending on the way you look at it has an occasional tint. Should one venture to wikipedia for a more through definition loukoum is identified as, “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.” So unique is the treat that it comes in approximately fourteen different flavors.

• Hazelnut
• Pistachio
• Walnut
• Almond
• Coconut
• Mint
• Cinnamon
• Rose (Often coated in chocolate)
• Mastic
• Saffron
• Clove
• Chocolate
• Vanilla
• Lemon

Of the following listed I find the flavors of Pistachio, Rose, Lemon, and Hazelnut to be exceptional, (keep in mind the quality differences from different confectioneries). The primary ingredients of Turkish Delight are sugar, corn starch, and water but even with a lack of ingredient diversity the simple confection can be both dynamic and surprising in taste. To bring this post to a close I would recommend everyone to try Turkish Delight, (now). Whether to taste the candy made popular in the popular book/movie The Chronicles of Narnia: The lion, the witch, and the wardrobe, or to increase the size of your sweets pallet, trying a cube of Turkish Delight is definitely a good choice.

If by some chance you are looking for a place to purchase wonderful TD I would recommend amazon.com or shopping.yahoo.com mostly because many local food distribution centers do not carry the good, (if yours does please let me know!).