Turkish Delight (Lokum): What It Is, Best Flavours & Where to Buy
Turkish delight, known in Türkiye as lokum, is a confection of starch and sugar cooked slowly into a soft gel, then flavoured and cut into cubes dusted with icing sugar or coconut. Good lokum is dense with pistachio, walnut or hazelnut and only lightly perfumed; the rose-heavy, jelly-soft version sold abroad is a pale relative. It has been made commercially in Istanbul since the late 18th century.
Quick facts
| Turkish name | Lokum (from Arabic rahat-ul hulkum) |
|---|---|
| Core ingredients | Sugar, water, corn or wheat starch, cream of tartar |
| Classic flavours | Pistachio, walnut, hazelnut, rose, lemon, mastic, pomegranate |
| Regional specialities | Safranbolu (saffron), Afyon (clotted cream), Gaziantep (pistachio) |
| Historic makers | Hacı Bekir (1777), Koska (1907) |
| Vegan? | Usually yes — starch-based, no gelatin |
| Best souvenir format | Vacuum-packed by weight, not decorative tins |
| Airline rules | Fine in cabin or hold baggage as a solid food |
How real lokum differs from the export version
Authentic lokum is cooked for hours so the starch fully gelatinises, giving a firm, clean bite that does not stick unpleasantly to the teeth. The sweetness is a background, not the point: nuts, mastic resin, pomegranate or citrus carry the flavour. Colour comes from the ingredient itself, which is why good pistachio lokum is a dull green rather than a bright one.
The rose-flavoured, jelly-textured, heavily perfumed cubes most people meet outside Türkiye are the cheapest grade, over-dusted with icing sugar to hide a soft set. If a shop refuses to let you taste, walk out — tasting is standard practice everywhere.
Which flavours to buy
- Çifte kavrulmuş fıstıklı — double-roasted pistachio, the benchmark; dense, barely sweet, expensive and worth it.
- Cevizli — walnut, often rolled into a log and sliced.
- Fındıklı — hazelnut, a Black Sea speciality.
- Narlı — pomegranate, tart and bright.
- Sakızlı — mastic, resinous and unusual; the most Ottoman flavour on the counter.
- Safranbolu saffron lokum — golden, subtle, from the Unesco-listed town of Safranbolu.
- Kaymaklı — layered with clotted cream from Afyon; delicious but only lasts a few days.
Where to buy it in Istanbul
- Hacı Bekir, Hamidiye Caddesi, Eminönü — the original 1777 shop, still family-run.
- Koska — reliable chain with branches across the city and at both airports.
- Şekerci Cafer Erol, Kadıköy — the Asian-side favourite, also famous for its marzipan fruit.
- Spice Bazaar — atmospheric but priced for tourists; ask the per-kilo rate before agreeing.
- Karaköy Güllüoğlu — better known for baklava, but the lokum counter is excellent.
Bringing it home
Lokum is a solid food, so it travels in hand or hold baggage with no liquid restriction, and it clears customs in the US, UK, EU, Canada and Australia without issue as a commercially packaged confection. Ask for vacuum packing (vakumlu) at the counter — it costs nothing and keeps the pieces from fusing in a warm suitcase.
Kept cool and dry it holds for two to three months. Cream-filled kaymaklı lokum is the exception: eat it within a few days and do not pack it.
Frequently asked questions
What is Turkish delight made of?
Sugar, water and starch — usually corn or wheat — cooked slowly with cream of tartar until the mixture gels, then flavoured and set. Nuts, rose or lemon water, mastic or fruit are folded in before setting, and the cut cubes are dusted with icing sugar, starch or desiccated coconut. Traditional lokum contains no gelatin, so it is normally vegan and halal.
What does Turkish delight taste like?
Good lokum is mildly sweet with a soft but firm chew, closer to a dense jelly than a gummy sweet. The dominant flavour comes from what is in it: buttery pistachio, tannic walnut, floral rose, sharp pomegranate or resinous mastic. Cheap versions taste mainly of sugar and perfume.
Where is the best Turkish delight in Istanbul?
Hacı Bekir in Eminönü, founded in 1777 and still run by the same family, is the historic benchmark. Şekerci Cafer Erol in Kadıköy is the Asian-side equivalent, and Koska is the dependable chain found citywide. Buy loose by weight and taste first; the Spice Bazaar is atmospheric but charges a tourist premium.
How much does Turkish delight cost?
It is sold by the kilo and price tracks the nut content: plain fruit or rose lokum is the cheapest tier, walnut and hazelnut sit in the middle, and double-roasted pistachio can be several times the plain price. Buying 250 to 500 grams of one good variety beats a mixed decorative box every time.
Can you take Turkish delight on a plane?
Yes. It is a solid food with no liquid restriction, so it goes in cabin or hold baggage, and commercially packaged confectionery is admissible in the US, UK, EU, Canada and Australia. Ask the shop to vacuum-pack it so it survives a warm suitcase.
Is Turkish delight the same as lokum?
Yes — lokum is simply the Turkish name, shortened from the Ottoman rahat-ul hulkum, meaning throat comfort. The English name Turkish delight dates from 19th-century British importers.