Turkish delight, or lokum as it is known in Türkiye, is a soft confection made from starch and sugar, cooked slowly until it sets into a tender, gel-like cube. It is flavored with rose, citrus, or nuts, dusted in powdered sugar, and traditionally served in small pieces alongside coffee.
If you know Turkish delight at all, you probably know it from Narnia. In C.S. Lewis's story, the White Witch tempts young Edmund with an enchanted box of it, and he sells out his brothers and sisters for another bite. Generations of readers have wondered what could possibly be worth betraying your own family over a sweet. Then they try a waxy, rose-scented jelly cube from a corner shop and feel a little cheated.
Here is the thing. What most people in Britain and the US have tasted is not really lokum. The Fry's Turkish Delight bar, that rose fondant sealed in chocolate, is a British invention from 1914 and a decent sweet in its own right. Genuine Turkish delight is a different thing altogether, and once you have had a fresh piece from a Turkish confectioner, Edmund starts to look less foolish.
What Turkish delight actually is
Lokum has been made in Anatolia since at least the late 1700s, when confectioners in Istanbul began cooking sugar with starch to produce a soft, chewy sweet that held its shape. The name comes from the Arabic rahat al-hulkum, roughly "comfort of the throat," which is why you will sometimes see the older spelling rahat lokum on antique tins. In Türkiye today it is simply lokum, sold by weight from glass cases in every sweet shop and offered to guests as a matter of course.
The texture is the giveaway. Real lokum is soft and yielding with a gentle chew, closer to a set jelly than a gummy. It should give way cleanly when you bite it, never bounce back like a pastille. A good piece carries its flavor lightly, so rose tastes like actual roses rather than perfume, and the sugar coating keeps the pieces from sticking together.
What is Turkish delight made of?
The classic recipe is short: sugar, water, and starch, usually cornstarch, cooked together and stirred almost constantly for an hour or more until the mixture turns thick, clear, and elastic. A little cream of tartar or lemon juice keeps the sugar from crystallizing. Once it sets, the slab is cut into cubes and rolled in powdered sugar, cornstarch, or sometimes shredded coconut.
Note what is not on that list: gelatine. Traditional Turkish delight sets because of the starch, not any animal product, so most classic lokum is suitable for vegetarians. Some modern novelty versions do add gelatine, so it is worth checking the label, but the sweet Edmund ate would have been starch-set. Because the base is cornstarch rather than wheat flour, plain lokum also contains no gluten, though dustings and add-ins vary. If you are cooking around wheat, our guide to whether baklava is gluten-free explains which Turkish sweets do and do not contain it.
The main types of lokum
Once you move past plain rose, Turkish delight opens up into dozens of styles. These are the ones worth knowing.
| Type | What is in it | Taste and texture |
|---|---|---|
| Rose (gül) | Rose water; pale pink and translucent | Floral and delicate, the classic starting point |
| Pistachio (fıstıklı) | Whole Gaziantep pistachios set in the sugar (here fıstık means pistachio, not peanut) | Buttery and nutty against a soft base |
| Walnut, Bandırma style | Thin sheets of lokum rolled around lines of walnut | Rich and chewy, sliced into spiral rounds |
| Double-roasted (çifte kavrulmuş) | Cooked twice, with less sugar coating | Firmer, chewier, and noticeably less sweet |
| Pomegranate, mint, citrus | Fruit and herb flavorings, often with nuts | Brighter and sharper, good in a mixed box |
The walnut version is a specialty of Bandırma on the Sea of Marmara, where confectioners roll thin sheets of lokum around whole walnuts and slice the log into rounds. Double-roasted lokum, or çifte kavrulmuş, is the connoisseur's pick: cooked a second time for a denser, less sugary result that many Turks prefer to the softer everyday kind.
What does Turkish delight taste like, and how do you serve it?
Flavor depends entirely on the type, but the common thread is a clean, moderate sweetness carried by a soft chew. Rose is floral, pistachio and walnut are nutty and rich, citrus and pomegranate are brighter. Good lokum is never cloying; the sugar dusting is there to balance, not to pile on.
In Türkiye, lokum almost always arrives with a drink. A cube or two next to a small cup of strong Turkish coffee is the standard pairing, the sweetness softening the bitterness of the coffee. It works just as well with black tea, or with a caffeine-free cup of menengic coffee if you are winding down for the evening. Serve it at room temperature, cut small, and dust with a little extra powdered sugar just before it goes out. A sealed tin in a cool cupboard keeps it soft for weeks.
How to buy real Turkish delight
The test of a good lokum is simple. It should be soft enough to yield under light pressure, generous with real nuts rather than a stray fragment, and honest in its flavoring. Rubbery, over-bright, or heavily perfumed pieces are the mass-market shortcut. Freshness matters too, since lokum is at its best within a few months of being made.
We ship ours straight from Turkish confectioners. If you are starting out, an assorted mixed Turkish delight box lets you taste rose, pistachio, and fruit styles side by side, and the smaller 350 g assortment makes an easy first order. For the walnut style done properly, reach for the Bandırma walnut Turkish delight, and the premium selection in a crystal box makes a proper gift.
Frequently asked questions
What is Turkish delight made of?
At its core, sugar, water, and cornstarch cooked slowly until thick and elastic, then set, cut, and dusted with powdered sugar. Flavorings such as rose water, citrus, pistachios, or walnuts go in near the end. Classic recipes use no gelatine and no wheat flour.
What is Turkish delight called in Turkey?
It is called lokum. The full historical name is rahat lokum, from an Arabic phrase meaning comfort of the throat. English adopted the description "Turkish delight" in the nineteenth century, but nobody in Türkiye asks for that. They ask for lokum by weight.
Is there gelatine in Turkish delight?
Traditional lokum contains no gelatine. It sets thanks to cooked starch, which makes most classic Turkish delight suitable for vegetarians. A few modern flavored versions add gelatine for a bouncier bite, so check the label if that matters to you.
How long does Turkish delight last, and how do you store it?
Kept in a sealed tin or container in a cool, dry cupboard, Turkish delight stays soft and good for several weeks, often a couple of months. Keep it away from heat and humidity, and skip the fridge, which dries the pieces out and firms them up. Re-dust with powdered sugar if the pieces start to stick.
Where can I buy authentic Turkish delight online?
You can order it directly from us at Foodturkiye. We source lokum from Turkish confectioners and ship worldwide from Türkiye, so the rose, pistachio, walnut, and double-roasted styles reach you close to how they taste back home. Start with a mixed box to find your favorite.
More from the Turkish kitchen
- Is baklava gluten-free?
- What is carob molasses?
- Turkish pomegranate tea, explained
- What is menengic coffee?
