Lokum, or Turkish Delight in Istanbul

Lokum, or Turkish Delight

by Grande Cafe Teras, Istanbul, Türkiye

It was a late night in Istanbul.

A cold, foggy drizzle was falling over the city, and I stepped inside the inviting glow of a local cafe and lokum shop to dry off and warm up.

Lokum, famously known as "Turkish delight" around the world, is one of those things that you must try when visiting Turkey. I couldn't decide on which flavor looked best, so I ordered a plate of nine pieces in order to try them all.

lokum, or Turkish delight in Istanbul

Shelves in the cafe are piled high with colorful confectionaries of all types. You can choose just one piece to order, or you can buy a box of sweets to take away. Turkish delight are made in large rolls, and each serving is sliced off of the end of the roll when it's ordered.

Turkish delight is not one thing, but a family of confections made from a gel of starch and sugar. It is believed to have originated in the Ottoman Empire sometime in the late 18th century. They are often flavored with rosewater, bergamot orange, lemon, and other sweet, bright flavors.

Simple, traditional Turkish delight is often packaged and eaten in small cubes dusted with icing sugar (like the type Edmund eats in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe), but premium varieties are often mixed with chopped dates, pistachios, hazelnuts, or walnuts to create more complex flavors, looks, and textures.

Turkish delight shop in Istanbul

There were so many different typers of lokum to try. Some were very traditional, made with pistachios and hazelnut; others were modern twists on the classic sweet, and were made with nougat, pomegranate, and even Oreo cookies and cream!

Turkish delight with many flavors to choose from

It was impossible for me to choose just one flavor to try, so I sat down at a table at the cafe and ordered the "lokum porsiyon", or "Turkish delight portion", a mix-and-match plate of nine different Turkish delight of my choice.

delicious Turkish delight for sale in Istanbul

I didn't really know what to order, so I asked the staff for recommendations. They helped me choose a set of nine very different lokum, each one unique and special.

The lokum were rich and sweet. The outsides all had crunchy textures from the chopped nuts they were rolled in, and the insides were creamy, nougaty, and perfectly chewy. 

A far cry from the plain mass-produced Turkish delights you might find in a supermarket abroad, these lokum were vibrant, unique, and very tasty. Each one felt very special.

various types and flavors of Turkish delight

Price

The "Turkish Delight Portion" (lokum porsiyon), a serving of nine pieces of your choice of Turkish delight, costs 290 Lira, or about $10. It's not super cheap, but given the delicious flavors and the location of the shop, it's reasonable.

"Turkish Delight Portion" at Grande Cafe Teras

Location

Grande Cafe Teras is located just down the street from the Hagia Sofia, the Blue Mosque, and the world-famous "Pudding Shop" at Alemdar, Divan Yolu Cd. no:44/a, 34400 Fatih/İstanbul. The nearest metro station is Sultanahmet, which is just a few steps away from the doors of the cafe.

Grand Cafe Teras is open until 1am, making it a great place for a late-night snack or coffee.

Turkish delight at Grande Cafe Teras, Istanbul, Turkey