Loukoumi, however, never became a luxury item, available only to a few. They were often included in the lunch pails of workers, who would make a sandwich of loukoumi and sesame koulouri. To this day, they play an important role in weddings, funerals and memorial services on the island. Turkish delight features as the enchanted confection the White Witch uses to gain the loyalty of Edmund Pevensie in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950) by C. S. Lewis. [27] Sales of Turkish delight rose following the theatrical release of the 2005 film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. [28]

The Loukoumi Make a Difference Foundation createdan eight-part, interactive curriculum based on the Loukoumi book series developingsocial and professional skills essential to the success oftomorrow’s serviceleaders. The curriculum andsupplementalmaterials are now in over 300 schools and institutions worldwide. Through our Good Deed Curriculum we design a program based on the school's needs and resources and what is best suited for the students. We ask the students to advise us what it is that they are interested in and how they want to change the world, and then we create projects with them. Students visit, animal shelters, homeless shelters, children’s hospitals, they clean up parks for the environment, they cook for the homeless, and raise money for their favorite charities, among other projects. In The Falcon and the Winter Soldier episode "The Whole World Is Watching", Baron Zemo uses Turkish delight (which he claims is "irresistible" and was his deceased son's favorite candy) to gain information from a Latvian girl. [29] After his death, the family continued the business, and the company is still owned by his family. Currently, the 5th generation is running the business. The company is one of the oldest in Turkey and among 100 oldest in the world. While loukoumi is not as commonplace nowadays, it is still a beloved treat in Greek homes, for it’s sweet enough to satisfy sugar cravings, but simple enough – the basic ingredients are water, sugar and starch – to be relatively low-calorie. And even if it’s not as popular as it used to be, it has certainly had a lasting impact: consider that the word “loukoumi” is used in the Greek language to mean something delicious in general, whether a nicely roasted piece of meat, a coveted object or a beautiful woman.

What is Lokum Made Of?

We [like most producers from Syros] don’t use any glucose syrup, dextrose or gelatin for our loukoumia and no artificial flavorings… We bring the rose petals from Chios too to make rose sugar, which is then used to flavor loukoumia. Most nuts are Greek, unless there is a shortage, and the honey comes from Crete,” said Aggeliki. In a perfect world, you could buy your loukoumi in the area where it is produced and eat it fresh. However, knowing that this is not always possible, here’s a small list of shops in Athens that carry different types of loukoumi, as well as other delicious products. Some believe that the Turkish word for the sweet, “lokum,” derives from the Arabic “al-lukum,” which means “morsel” or “mouthful,” while others argue it comes from the Arabic phrase “rahat al-hulqum,” or “throat comfort.”

The Chios craftsmen had learned the craft of making the sweet in Constantinople but improved the recipe with the addition of Chios mastic.

What Does It Mean in English?

Finally, there’s soutzouk loukoum, from Komotini. It looks like a sausage (hence the name soutzouk from the Turkish sucuk, which means sausage) and is usually made with grape must and nuts, although nowadays it comes in many different flavors. It is made by stringing walnuts on a long thread, which is then dipped twice into the loukoumi mixture and hung to dry. Once the “sausage” is set, the outside is dusted with sugar to further make it look like cured meat. The final product is cut into bite-sized cubes, which are dusted with caster sugar or finely flaked coconut. More information Then, the essential oils, the colourings and the nuts are added. The mixture is left to cool for 24 hours in square pans that have been floured and then it’s cut horizontally, and in small cubes. Loukoumi is a legendary unhealthy sweet, made of sugar, water and starch. There are different aromas and sometimes nuts and seeds are added. As if it wasn’t enough, they are additionally covered in powdered sugar. They are usually served with Greek coffee. Keto Turkish delight can be served with coffee to, but it will not add any sugar! The evil White Witch gives Edmund Turkish Delight as a treat in C. S. Lewis's book, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.