In Turkish culture, meals have always been prepared meticulously by giving a special importance to the tables. Turkish cuisine has both influenced various cultures and has shown a great development by being influenced by these cultures. At the same time, while influencing especially Balkan and Middle Eastern cuisines, it has gained a completely different beauty by incorporating various dishes and desserts influenced by these cuisines.
Desserts have a very special place in Turkish cuisine. Dessert varieties have never changed from the past to the present and have always been kept ready for special occasions, events and activities and presented to guests with care.
Known as the oldest confectionery of Turkish and Ottoman cuisine, the akide sugar used to be distributed during the Janissaries’ ulufe ceremonies in the Ottoman Empire. Derived from the word “Akit”, this candy represented the satisfaction of the Janissaries with the new Sultan and their loyalty to him. Over time, it was flavored with roses, hazelnuts and cinnamon and became one of the indispensable sweets always available in the palace kitchen.
Lokum, on the other hand, was introduced in the 18th century by Ali Muhittin Hacı Bekir to the taste of Sultan Abdülhamid I, who was tired of hard candies such as akide. It became widespread within the borders of the Ottoman Empire, especially in the 19th century. In Europe, it became known as ‘Turkish Delight’ through an English traveler. In this period, the raw material of Turkish delight consisted of honey or molasses and flour. Later, with the discovery of refined sugar and starch, called kelle sugar, and its introduction to our country, its taste and texture took its present form.
Today, Turkish delight is a dessert prepared by adding condiments, dried or dried fruits and similar substances to the mass prepared with water, sugar, starch and citric acid. In Arabic, it is referred to as ‘rahat-ul hulküm’ (relieving the throat).
The appearance of the Turkish delight should be specific to the type of Turkish delight and retain the shape it was given. Its texture should be flexible, it should be able to take its former shape after being pressed with a finger, and it should leave a soft and slippery feeling in the mouth. It should not burn the nasal passages or cause swallowing difficulties.
The confectionery profession in Safranbolu began to develop in the early 19th century as a result of close contacts with the Ottoman court culture and because Hacı Bekir was born in the neighboring city of Araç. The professionals of those days continued their existence by producing various types of candies, ring sugar, coarse sugar, various pastes and plain Turkish delight.
The recognition of Safranbolu Turkish delight began with the production of the classic Turkish delight, which the ancients called furry Turkish delight, after coconut began to be imported to our country. Classic Safranbolu Turkish delight is a type of Turkish delight produced by placing roasted hazelnuts inside the Turkish delight mass, rolling it into a roll, cutting it two centimeters thick and three centimeters in diameter, and covering it with coconut.
It became known as a result of the gift-giving habits of the laborers who came to work in the Karabük Iron and Steel Factory established in our region and the travelers passing through Safranbolu on their way to big cities from the Western Black Sea coastline. The production and sale of Turkish delight started by Osman Nuri Uzun, a fellow Safranbolian, in the Ulus district of Ankara also contributed to this process.
The awareness of our city, which started with the documentary ‘Time in Safranbolu’, which was selected as the ‘Best Documentary Film’ at the 1977 Antalya Film Festival, accelerated with our entry into the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994 and reached its peak in the 2000s. In this process, the popularity of Safranbolu, which has become the most important cultural tourism destination of our country, has brought Turkish delight to the top.
Although varieties and brands have increased in line with the demands of domestic and foreign guests today, traditional methods and natural raw materials are still used in well-established companies. Especially the Turkish delight produced by coloring with the saffron plant, which gives our city its name, is the most preferred variety today. The production of Safranbolu Turkish delight, which is made without the addition of additives and most importantly by observing the master-apprentice relationship from the Ahi culture, will be passed on to future generations with its current flavor thanks to the masters who apply what they have learned here.
Text: Erdinç Sezer, Photos: Imren Delights Archive
– Erdinç Sezer, Third Generation Turkish Delight Producer, Hotel Operator, President of Safranbolu Tourism Operators Association
WORLD HERITAGE MAGAZINE ISSUE 1 (APRIL 2023)
