Turkish delight

A soft, chewy gel candy made from starch and sugar, flavored with rose water, citrus or nuts and dusted with powdered sugar.

Turkish delight: Cubes of pink rose Turkish delight dusted with powdered sugar, one cut showing pistachios inside
  • Chocolate, sugar and confectionery
  • Ottoman Empire

Also called: lokum, loukoumi

Turkish delight, or lokum, is made by cooking sugar syrup with cornstarch and a little acid for a long time, stirring constantly until the mixture turns thick and translucent. It is flavored, poured into a pan, left to set overnight and cut into cubes. The pieces are tossed in powdered sugar and starch so they do not stick.

Classic flavors include rose, lemon, mastic and orange, often with pistachios, hazelnuts or walnuts inside. It is served with Turkish coffee and is popular in Turkey, Greece, Cyprus and the Balkans.

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Sources

Written by VanillaGoods in our own words from these sources. Last reviewed October 15, 2026.

  1. Beyoglu, Fatih (Eminonu), Kadikoy - Turkish Delight (Lokum), Istanbul Directorate of Culture and Tourism (Ministry of Culture and Tourism, ktb.gov.tr)