A traditional Turkish dessert made with water, sugar, starch and citric acid or with tartaric acid or potassium bi tartrate and prepared with the addition of condiments, dried or dried fruits and similar substances when necessary.
The lokum, which is derived from the Arabic word “rahat-ul hulkum” (as a throat relieved), is produced in Anatolia since the 15th century according to some sources. According to some sources, at the end of the 18th century Muhittin Hacı Bekir invented a contest based on the request of 1.Abdulhamit’s soft candy, which was squeezed by hard candies and Muhittin Haci Bekir was the winner in this competition. However, it is unquestionable that Ali Muhittin Hadci Bekir is the one who invented the lokum in a serial fashion in the 18th and 15th centuries, and popularized it and introduced it to Europe. Turkish delight began to spread in Europe in the 19th century when an English traveler brought Hacı Bekir’s lokum to Europe.