Turkish Delight
Encyclopedia
Turkish delight or lokum is a family of confections
based on a gel
of starch
and sugar
. Premium varieties consist largely of chopped dates, pistachios and hazelnuts or walnuts bound by the gel; the cheapest are mostly gel, generally flavored with rosewater
, mastic
, or lemon
. The confection is often packaged and eaten in small cubes dusted with icing sugar, copra
, or powdered cream of Tartar, to prevent clinging. Other common types include such flavors as cinnamon
and mint
. In the production process, soapwort
may be used as an emulsifying additive
.
Yeni Camii Mosque in 1776.
Originally, honey
and molasses
were its sweeteners, and water and flour were the binding agents, with rosewater
, lemon peel and bitter orange
as the most common flavors (red, yellow and green). Lokum was introduced to Western Europe in the 19th century. An unknown Briton reputedly became very fond of the delicacy during his travels to Istanbul and purchased cases of it, to be shipped back to Britain under the name Turkish delight. It became a major delicacy in Britain and throughout Continental Europe
for the high class society. During this time, it became a practice among upperclass socialites to exchange pieces of Turkish delight wrapped in silk handkerchiefs as presents.
words lokma and lokum are derived from the Arabic
لقمة luqma(t), meaning morsel and mouthful, plural لقوم luqūm. The alternate Ottoman
name rahat hulkum, from Arabic راحة الحلقوم raḥat al-ḥulqum, means contentment of the throat. In Libya
, Saudi Arabia
, and Tunisia
, it is called حلقوم ḥalqūm. Its name in Bosnia
(rahat lokum), in Serbia
it is called (ratluk), and in Romania
(rahat) clearly relate this etymology. Its name in Greek
, λουκούμι (loukoumi), shares a similar etymology with the modern Turkish. In parts of Cyprus
, where the dessert has protected geographical indication (PGI), it is also marketed as Cyprus Delight.
In English, it was formerly called Lumps of Delight.
In North America
, Turkish delight is not especially common, though it forms the basic foundation of the Big Turk
chocolate bar (distributed by Nestlé
in Canada
) as well as the basis for most of Liberty Orchards
' line of confectionery
, including their various "Fruit Delights" and Aplets & Cotlets. Additionally, the Nory Candy company of California
has been producing their "Rahat Locum" version of Turkish delight for 30 years.
Elsewhere, Fry's Turkish Delight
is produced by Cadbury in the United Kingdom
, Australia
, South Africa
and can also be found in Canada
and New Zealand
. The interior jelly of jelly bean
s may trace its origin back to Turkish delight. The confection is known in Brazil
as Delícia Turca or Bala de Goma (Síria
/Árabe). In Greece
and its islands it is often branded "Greek Delight", possibly because of the historic hostility
between Greece and Turkey
.
The following is a list of names in other languages, or the names of similar dishes:
, Cyprus
.
succumbs in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
by C. S. Lewis
. Sales of Turkish delight rose following the theatrical release of the film version of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
.
There are "gourmand" perfumes that use Loukoum or Loukhoum in their names and that are said to smell like the confection, as in Loukhoum by Ava Luxe, Loukhoum by Keiko Mecheri and Loukoum by Serge Lutens
.
Turkish delight is the main subject of the song "Rahadlakum" from the Broadway musical Kismet
.
Turkish delight is also the main subject of the song "Turkish Delight" from the album The Roar of Love
completed by the 2nd Chapter of Acts
in 1980.
The character of Rosa in Charles Dickens' unfinished The Mystery of Edwin Drood
has an inordinate fondness for Turkish delight, which she frequently refers to as "Lumps of Delight."
Turkish delight is featured in the climax of the novel Strong Poison
by Dorothy L. Sayers
.
David Crowder*Band's song "Turkish Delight" was released on the Music Inspired by the Chronicles of Narnia compilation CD. This song, which is a reference to the magical Turkish delight in C. S. Lewis's book The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, has an old-school disco feel.
In 2008, Madonna referenced Turkish Delight in her 11th studio album, Hard Candy. During the song, Candy Shop, she uses the lyric: "...I've got Turkish Delight, baby and so much more."
Turkish delight also figures in a Peter Cook and Dudley Moore sketch, about a man who visits a psychiatrist to cure himself of an involuntary scream whenever he sees his wife Mary. The psychiatrist, played by Cook, gives him Turkish delight as a positive reinforcement whenever a picture of Mary is flashed on a screen.
An extraterrestrial form of Turkish delight called "Martian Delight" was a running gag in Fireball XL5
. Doctor Venus' alien pet Zoonie the Lazoon was always getting itself (and, often, the rest of the characters) into trouble while trying to get into her supply of Martian Delight.
Confectionery
Confectionery is the set of food items that are rich in sugar, any one or type of which is called a confection. Modern usage may include substances rich in artificial sweeteners as well...
based on a gel
Gel
A gel is a solid, jelly-like material that can have properties ranging from soft and weak to hard and tough. Gels are defined as a substantially dilute cross-linked system, which exhibits no flow when in the steady-state...
of starch
Starch
Starch or amylum is a carbohydrate consisting of a large number of glucose units joined together by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by all green plants as an energy store...
and sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
. Premium varieties consist largely of chopped dates, pistachios and hazelnuts or walnuts bound by the gel; the cheapest are mostly gel, generally flavored with rosewater
Rosewater
Rose water or rose syrup is the hydrosol portion of the distillate of rose petals. Rose water, itself a by-product of the production of rose oil for use in perfume, is used to flavour food, as a component in some cosmetic and medical preparations, and for religious purposes throughout Europe and...
, mastic
Mastic (plant resin)
Mastic is a resin obtained from the mastic tree . In pharmacies and Nature shops it is called "arabic gum" and "Yemen gum". In Greece it is known as the "tears of Chios," being traditionally produced on that Greek island, and, like other natural resins is produced in "tears" or droplets...
, or lemon
Lemon
The lemon is both a small evergreen tree native to Asia, and the tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit. The fruit is used for culinary and non-culinary purposes throughout the world – primarily for its juice, though the pulp and rind are also used, mainly in cooking and baking...
. The confection is often packaged and eaten in small cubes dusted with icing sugar, copra
Copra
Copra is the dried meat, or kernel, of the coconut. Coconut oil extracted from it has made copra an important agricultural commodity for many coconut-producing countries. It also yields coconut cake which is mainly used as feed for livestock.-Production:...
, or powdered cream of Tartar, to prevent clinging. Other common types include such flavors as cinnamon
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several trees from the genus Cinnamomum that is used in both sweet and savoury foods...
and mint
Mentha
Mentha is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae . The species are not clearly distinct and estimates of the number of species varies from 13 to 18. Hybridization between some of the species occurs naturally...
. In the production process, soapwort
Soapwort
Common Soapwort is a vespertine flower, and a common perennial plant from the carnation family . Other common names are Bouncing Bet and Sweet William; locally it is simply "the Soapwort" although there are about 20 species of soapworts altogether.The scientific name Saponaria is derived from the...
may be used as an emulsifying additive
Food additive
Food additives are substances added to food to preserve flavor or enhance its taste and appearance.Some additives have been used for centuries; for example, preserving food by pickling , salting, as with bacon, preserving sweets or using sulfur dioxide as in some wines...
.
History
The sweet as it is known today was invented by Bekir Effendi, who moved from his hometown Kastamonu to Istanbul and opened his confectionery shop near theYeni Camii Mosque in 1776.
Originally, honey
Honey
Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...
and molasses
Molasses
Molasses is a viscous by-product of the processing of sugar cane, grapes or sugar beets into sugar. The word molasses comes from the Portuguese word melaço, which ultimately comes from mel, the Latin word for "honey". The quality of molasses depends on the maturity of the sugar cane or sugar beet,...
were its sweeteners, and water and flour were the binding agents, with rosewater
Rosewater
Rose water or rose syrup is the hydrosol portion of the distillate of rose petals. Rose water, itself a by-product of the production of rose oil for use in perfume, is used to flavour food, as a component in some cosmetic and medical preparations, and for religious purposes throughout Europe and...
, lemon peel and bitter orange
Bitter orange
The name "bitter orange", also known as Seville orange, sour orange, bigarade orange, and marmalade orange, refers to a citrus tree and its fruit. Many varieties of bitter orange are used for their essential oil, which is used in perfume and as a flavoring...
as the most common flavors (red, yellow and green). Lokum was introduced to Western Europe in the 19th century. An unknown Briton reputedly became very fond of the delicacy during his travels to Istanbul and purchased cases of it, to be shipped back to Britain under the name Turkish delight. It became a major delicacy in Britain and throughout Continental Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
for the high class society. During this time, it became a practice among upperclass socialites to exchange pieces of Turkish delight wrapped in silk handkerchiefs as presents.
Name
The TurkishTurkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
words lokma and lokum are derived from the Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
لقمة luqma(t), meaning morsel and mouthful, plural لقوم luqūm. The alternate Ottoman
Ottoman Turkish language
The Ottoman Turkish language or Ottoman language is the variety of the Turkish language that was used for administrative and literary purposes in the Ottoman Empire. It borrows extensively from Arabic and Persian, and was written in a variant of the Perso-Arabic script...
name rahat hulkum, from Arabic راحة الحلقوم raḥat al-ḥulqum, means contentment of the throat. In Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, and Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
, it is called حلقوم ḥalqūm. Its name in Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
(rahat lokum), in Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
it is called (ratluk), and in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
(rahat) clearly relate this etymology. Its name in Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
, λουκούμι (loukoumi), shares a similar etymology with the modern Turkish. In parts of Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, where the dessert has protected geographical indication (PGI), it is also marketed as Cyprus Delight.
In English, it was formerly called Lumps of Delight.
Around the world
In Australia, Turkish delight was once known as "Tom Bee", after a returning serviceman who introduced the delicacy after the Second World War. The serviceman, Tom Bradfield, was a personal friend of the Tasmanian Governor at the time, Sir Tannon Muller, who became responsible for the "Tom Bee's" widespread popularity.In North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, Turkish delight is not especially common, though it forms the basic foundation of the Big Turk
Big Turk
The Big Turk is a chocolate bar manufactured by Nestlé Canada, that consists of pink Turkish Delight coated in milk chocolate. The 60-gram bar contains 4 grams of fat, which is advertised as 60% less fat than the average chocolate bar. This is one of the key selling points of the bar...
chocolate bar (distributed by Nestlé
Nestlé
Nestlé S.A. is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
) as well as the basis for most of Liberty Orchards
Liberty Orchards
Liberty Orchards is a candy company located in Cashmere, Washington. Founded originally as an apple farm in 1918 by Armenian immigrant couple Armen Tertsagian and Mark Balaban, the company moved into canning and then confectionery during the 1930s and 1940s...
' line of confectionery
Confectionery
Confectionery is the set of food items that are rich in sugar, any one or type of which is called a confection. Modern usage may include substances rich in artificial sweeteners as well...
, including their various "Fruit Delights" and Aplets & Cotlets. Additionally, the Nory Candy company of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
has been producing their "Rahat Locum" version of Turkish delight for 30 years.
Elsewhere, Fry's Turkish Delight
Fry's Turkish Delight
Fry's Turkish Delight is a chocolate sweet made by Cadbury, and formerly by J. S. Fry & Sons. It was launched in 1914 and consists of a rose-flavoured Turkish delight surrounded by milk chocolate....
is produced by Cadbury in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and can also be found in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The interior jelly of jelly bean
Jelly bean
Jelly beans are a small bean-shaped type of confectionery with a hard candy shell and a gummy interior which come in a wide variety of flavors. The confection is primarily made of sugar.-History:...
s may trace its origin back to Turkish delight. The confection is known in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
as Delícia Turca or Bala de Goma (Síria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
/Árabe). In Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and its islands it is often branded "Greek Delight", possibly because of the historic hostility
Greco-Turkish relations
The relations between the Greek and the Turkish states have been marked by alternating periods of mutual hostility and reconciliation ever since Greece won its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1821...
between Greece and Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
.
The following is a list of names in other languages, or the names of similar dishes:
- Albanian: "llokum"
- Arabic: راحة (rāḥah) or راحة الحلقوم (rāhat al-ḥulqūm)
- ArmenianArmenian cuisineArmenian cuisine includes the foods and cooking techniques of the Armenian people, the Armenian diaspora and traditional Armenian foods and dishes. The cuisine reflects the history and geography where Armenians have lived as well as incorporating outside influences...
: "hanksdabadar" - Azerbaijani: "rahat lukum"
- BosnianBosnian cuisineBosnian cuisine is balanced between Western and Eastern influences. The food is closely related to Turkish, Middle Eastern and other Mediterranean cuisines. However, due to years of Austrian rule, there are also many culinary influences from Central Europe....
: "rahat lokum" - BulgarianBulgarian cuisineBulgarian cuisine is a representative of the cuisine of Southeastern Europe. Essentially South Slavic, it shares characteristics with other Balkans cuisines...
: "локум" (lokum) - CroatianCroatian cuisineCroatian cuisine is heterogeneous and is known as the cuisine of regions, since every region has its own distinct culinary traditions. Its modern roots date back to ancient periods and the differences in the selection of foodstuffs and forms of cooking are most notable between those on the mainland...
: "rahat-lokum" - Cypriot Greek/TurkishCypriot cuisineCypriot cuisine is the cuisine of Cyprus and can be described as a blend of Greek cuisines. Greek Cypriot cuisine is another regional Greek cuisine along with Cretan, Ionian, or Attic....
: "λουκούμι" (lukumi), "lokum" - CzechCzech cuisineCzech cuisine has both influenced and been influenced by the cuisines of surrounding countries. Many of the fine cakes and pastries that are popular in Central Europe originated in the Czech lands. Czech cuisine is marked by a strong emphasis on meat dishes. Pork is quite common, and beef and...
: "rahat" - FrenhFrench cuisineFrench cuisine is a style of food preparation originating from France that has developed from centuries of social change. In the Middle Ages, Guillaume Tirel , a court chef, authored Le Viandier, one of the earliest recipe collections of Medieval France...
: "loukoum" - Greek: "λουκούμι" (lukumi)
- PersianIranian cuisineIranian cuisine is diverse, with each province featuring dishes, culinary traditions and styles distinct to its region.It includes a wide variety of foods ranging from chelo kabab , khoresht Iranian cuisine is diverse, with each province featuring dishes, culinary traditions and styles distinct to...
: "باسلق" (basloq) - HebrewIsraeli cuisineIsraeli cuisine comprises local dishes by Jews native to Israel and dishes brought to Israel by Jews from the Diaspora. Since before the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, and particularly since the late 1970s, an Israeli Jewish fusion cuisine has developed.Israeli cuisine has adopted,...
: "רחת לוקום" ("rakhat lokum") - ItalianItalian cuisineItalian cuisine has developed through centuries of social and political changes, with roots as far back as the 4th century BCE. Italian cuisine in itself takes heavy influences, including Etruscan, ancient Greek, ancient Roman, Byzantine, Jewish and Arab cuisines...
: "Lokun" - Hungarian: "szultánkenyér" (literally meaning "SultanSultanSultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
's bread") - JapaneseJapanese cuisineJapanese cuisine has developed over the centuries as a result of many political and social changes throughout Japan. The cuisine eventually changed with the advent of the Medieval age which ushered in a shedding of elitism with the age of shogun rule...
: "ロクム" (rokumu) - Korean: "tteokTteokTteok is a class of Korean rice cakes made with glutinous rice flour , by steaming. Normal rice flour can be used for some kinds of tteok. There are hundreds of different kinds of tteok eaten year round...
" - Macedonian: "локум" (lokum)
- PolishPolish cuisinePolish cuisine is a style of cooking and food preparation originating from Poland. It has evolved over the centuries due to historical circumstances. Polish national cuisine shares some similarities with other Central European and Eastern European traditions as well as French and Italian...
: "rachatłukum" or "lokum" - PortuguesePortuguese cuisinePortuguese cuisine is characterised by rich, filling and full-flavored dishes and is closely related to Mediterranean cuisine. The influence of Portugal's former colonial possessions is also notable, especially in the wide variety of spices used. These spices include piri piri and black pepper, as...
: "Manjar turco" or "delícia turca" - RomanianRomanian cuisineRomanian cuisine is a diverse blend of different dishes from several traditions with which it has come into contact, but it also maintains its own character...
: "rahat" - RussianRussian cuisineRussian cuisine is diverse, as Russia is the largest country in the world. Russian cuisine derives its varied character from the vast and multi-cultural expanse of Russia. Its foundations were laid by the peasant food of the rural population in an often harsh climate, with a combination of...
: "рахат-лукум" (rahat-lukum) - SerbianSerbian cuisineSerbian cuisine is a heterogeneous cuisine, sharing characteristics of the Balkans , the Mediterranean , Turkish, and Central European cuisines....
: "ратлук" (ratluk) - SpanishSpanish cuisineSpanish cuisine consists of a variety of dishes, which stem from differences in geography, culture and climate. It is heavily influenced by seafood available from the waters that surround the country, and reflects the country's deep maritime roots...
: "Delicias turcas" or "lokum" - SlovenianSlovenian cuisineThere is no such thing as a single, uniform, distinct Slovenian cuisine. In the opinion of some experts, there are more than 40 distinct cuisines in a country, whose main distinguishing feature is a great variety and diversity of land formation, climate, wind movements, humidity, terrain and...
: "ratluk" - TurkishTurkish cuisineTurkish cuisine is largely the heritage of Ottoman cuisine, which can be described as a fusion and refinement of Central Asian, Middle Eastern and Balkan cuisines. Turkish cuisine has in turn influenced those and other neighbouring cuisines, including that of western Europe...
: "lokumLokumLokum or Nokul is a type of puff pastry. Lokum is a type of pastry eaten in Turkey and Bulgaria with variations. Lokum is sometimes served hot as an appetizer instead of bread.It consists of a rolled sheet of yeast dough onto which a feta,walnut or poppy seed is sprinkled over a thin coat of butter...
" - UkrainianUkrainian cuisineUkrainian cuisine has significant diversity, historical traditions. "Cuisine - Flavors and Colors of Ukrainian Culture."] . Accessed July 2011. Common foods used include meats, vegetables, mushrooms, fruits, berries and herbs...
: "лукум" (lukum)
Protected geographical indication
Despite its worldwide popularity and production in several countries, at present, the only protected geographical indication (PGI) for such a product is the name Λουκούμι Γεροσκήπου (Loukoumi Geroskipou) for Turkish delight made in YeroskipouYeroskipou
Yeroskipou is a coastal town in Cyprus, east of Paphos. Its current population is approximately 7,000 and it is the second largest municipality in the Paphos District. Yeroskipou, with its remarkable five-domed Byzantine church of Agia Paraskevi, and its Folk Art Museum, is a popular tourist...
, Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
.
In popular culture
Turkish delight features as the addictive confection to which Edmund PevensieEdmund Pevensie
Edmund "Ed" Pevensie is a major fictional character in C. S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia. He is a principal character in three of the seven books , and a lesser character in two others .In the live-action films, The...
succumbs in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a fantasy novel for children by C. S. Lewis. Published in 1950 and set circa 1940, it is the first-published book of The Chronicles of Narnia and is the best known book of the series. Although it was written and published first, it is second in the series'...
by C. S. Lewis
C. S. Lewis
Clive Staples Lewis , commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis and known to his friends and family as "Jack", was a novelist, academic, medievalist, literary critic, essayist, lay theologian and Christian apologist from Belfast, Ireland...
. Sales of Turkish delight rose following the theatrical release of the film version of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a 2005 epic fantasy adventure film directed by Andrew Adamson and based on The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the first published and second chronological novel in C. S. Lewis's children's epic fantasy series, The Chronicles of...
.
There are "gourmand" perfumes that use Loukoum or Loukhoum in their names and that are said to smell like the confection, as in Loukhoum by Ava Luxe, Loukhoum by Keiko Mecheri and Loukoum by Serge Lutens
Serge Lutens
Serge Lutens is a French photographer, filmmaker, hair stylist, perfume art-director and fashion designer....
.
Turkish delight is the main subject of the song "Rahadlakum" from the Broadway musical Kismet
Kismet (musical)
Kismet is a musical with lyrics and musical adaptation by Robert Wright and George Forrest, adapted from the music of Alexander Borodin, and a book by Charles Lederer and Luther Davis, based on Kismet, the 1911 play by Edward Knoblock...
.
Turkish delight is also the main subject of the song "Turkish Delight" from the album The Roar of Love
The Roar of Love
The Roar of Love is a 1980 concept album by Christian band 2nd Chapter of Acts that tells the story of the first book in the Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis....
completed by the 2nd Chapter of Acts
2nd Chapter of Acts
The 2nd Chapter of Acts was a Jesus Music and early Contemporary Christian Music group composed of sisters Annie Herring and Nelly Greisen and brother Matthew Ward. They began performing in 1973 and enjoyed their period of greatest success during the 1970s...
in 1980.
The character of Rosa in Charles Dickens' unfinished The Mystery of Edwin Drood
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
The Mystery of Edwin Drood is the final novel by Charles Dickens. The novel was left unfinished at the time of Dickens' death, and his intended ending for it remains unknown. Though the novel is named after the character Edwin Drood, the story focuses on Drood's uncle, choirmaster John Jasper, who...
has an inordinate fondness for Turkish delight, which she frequently refers to as "Lumps of Delight."
Turkish delight is featured in the climax of the novel Strong Poison
Strong Poison
Strong Poison is a 1929 novel by Dorothy L. Sayers, her fifth featuring Lord Peter Wimsey.-Plot introduction:It is in Strong Poison that Lord Peter first meets Harriet Vane, an author of police fiction. The immediate problem is that she is on trial for her life, charged with murdering her former...
by Dorothy L. Sayers
Dorothy L. Sayers
Dorothy Leigh Sayers was a renowned English crime writer, poet, playwright, essayist, translator and Christian humanist. She was also a student of classical and modern languages...
.
David Crowder*Band's song "Turkish Delight" was released on the Music Inspired by the Chronicles of Narnia compilation CD. This song, which is a reference to the magical Turkish delight in C. S. Lewis's book The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, has an old-school disco feel.
In 2008, Madonna referenced Turkish Delight in her 11th studio album, Hard Candy. During the song, Candy Shop, she uses the lyric: "...I've got Turkish Delight, baby and so much more."
Turkish delight also figures in a Peter Cook and Dudley Moore sketch, about a man who visits a psychiatrist to cure himself of an involuntary scream whenever he sees his wife Mary. The psychiatrist, played by Cook, gives him Turkish delight as a positive reinforcement whenever a picture of Mary is flashed on a screen.
An extraterrestrial form of Turkish delight called "Martian Delight" was a running gag in Fireball XL5
Fireball XL5
Fireball XL5 is a science fiction-themed children's television show following the missions of spaceship Fireball XL5, commanded by Colonel Steve Zodiac of the World Space Patrol...
. Doctor Venus' alien pet Zoonie the Lazoon was always getting itself (and, often, the rest of the characters) into trouble while trying to get into her supply of Martian Delight.