(photo from Wikipedia)
In honor of the new The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe movie opening today, I thought I would write about Turkish Delight….
I read the Chronicles of Narnia series of books by C.S. Lewis many times when I was young and recently listened to The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe audiobook. I love those stories. They always bring back such vivid memories of reading them as a child. Before today,I never really wondered much about the candy that the White Witch gave to Edmund to convince him to be on her side. I always just assumed it was a made-up candy like most things in Narnia. It turns out Turkish Delight is a real candy and there are many recipes for it online. From Wikipedia:
Turkish Delight is a confection made from starch and sugar. It is often flavored with rosewater or lemon, the former giving it a characteristic pale pink color. It has a soft, sticky consistency, and is often packaged and eaten in small cubes that are dusted with sugar to prevent sticking. Some recipes include small nut pieces, usually pistachio, hazelnut or walnuts.
[Read more]
Wikipedia has a recipe for Turkish Delight and here are a few more variations of it:
Turkish Delight recipe at familyeducation.com
Turkish Delight recipe at NarniaFans
Turkish Delight recipe at Christmas-Joy.com
All of the recipes are slightly different from each other. Has anyone ever tried Turkish Delight and/or made it? What’s it like? Is it worth making (i.e. does it taste good)? In the book, Edmund thought it was fabulous, but is it really that good or was it just the White Witch’s magic that made it so good?
And finally, here is an interesting article on Turkish Delight that discusses its sales in the U.K. and why it probably won’t be sold in the U.S.
UPDATE: I found some Turkish Delight and have posted a review.
TAGS: candy narnia cslewis movie movies turkish delight turkish+delight food disney
It’s yummy! It’s like a very sophisticated-flavored, very firm jell-o or very soft gummy bear. Definitely a ’special occasion’ treat, not something I can snack on, even though it’s very light. I actually bought some rosewater a few months ago to make my own, but I haven’t gotten around to it yet.
RESPONSE: If you do make it and it turns out good, send me some!
I think you just got the record for the fastest comment on a post at Candy Addict 
No prize though 
December 10th, 2005 at 10:36 am–Brian
First, I’d like to thank my parents, who made this all possible. And also the beautiful new RSS-enabled version of Safari…
December 10th, 2005 at 11:15 amI tried making Turkish Paste (or Turkish Delight) several times when I was a teen, while it was tasty and edible, it was never like the real stuff that we got from the Middle Eastern grocer.
I’m so glad you posted this, because I know a lot of folks are curious about this rather unknown confection.
December 10th, 2005 at 1:02 pmOoh, you might like this article from Slate.
http://www.slate.com/id/2131903/fr/rss/
I think the writer has the allure of Turkish Delight totally wrong, but you know that’s why there are so many candies in the world - so there’s something for everyone. Personally I love the rosewater ones.
December 11th, 2005 at 8:08 am[…] (non-US) Candy
Friday, in celebration of the Narnia movie that came out, I posted about Turkish Delight and what it is, and yesterday, my wife found (and […]
December 12th, 2005 at 10:59 amThey sell it at specialty candy stores here in Canada. It’s kind of genlinous substance, of a thicker and more opaque consistency than gello. It’s good, but not good enough to make me sell out to the white witch. also one time when I bought it, it had been accidently covered in flour instead of icing suger. (ug)
February 22nd, 2006 at 7:51 pmAlso we have a rather unpopular chocolate bar here called “big turk” with a turkish delight filling.
omg , im turkish ‘n’ proud. Turkish delights are the best candy in THE world. You should try the ones made in Turkey. P.S. candy kid, do some research on Backlava- you’ll be amazed once you take a bite
August 23rd, 2006 at 4:43 pmi love candy
October 5th, 2006 at 2:18 pmWhen I was growing up in Logan, Utah the Bluebird Candy Company made Turkish paste (or Turkish delight) chocolates. The paste was made in several different fruit flavors, and I really liked it as a child. It was fun seeing it in the movie, and when my children asked me what Turkish Delight was, I could tell them.
November 11th, 2006 at 1:51 amI love Turkish Delight.
February 27th, 2007 at 6:22 amI just tasted authentic Turkish delight flown in from Turkey by a friend. It is amazing, delicately gummy, and comes in several flavors. The friend chose from all the types he saw in the marketplace. The best are the red (rosewater) ones. They are all dusted with powdered sugar slightly coconut flavored, and have pistachio bits in them. We can get something somewhat similar called “Aplets and Cotlets” from a manufacturer in Seattle, WA, but they are tougher and less perfumed-tasting.
April 24th, 2007 at 9:37 pmI am from England and as a kid my favourite sweet was Fry’s Turkish Delight. Once I got past teenage I didn’t like the processed taste. Then after I met my wife she weaned me off milk chocolate onto the real dark stuff. I can happily eat a bar out of nostalgia once every few years, but it is no longer the best thing going (by a looooong shot :). Real turkish delight is definitely a delight. Delicate, perfumed, nutty witha curiously sticky consistentency like nothing else on earth. The real thing is certainly one of my favourite sweets. Right up there with but utterly different from Belgian chocolates.
July 6th, 2007 at 12:40 amI spent my summers with my god-father in Saudi Arabia and loved the stuff they sell in the spice markets. They sell it at the World Market stores here in the U.S. too, just not the same, the Orlando store stocks it year round but the San Antonio one only carries it at Christmas time. So you’ll have to check your local store for availability.
March 26th, 2008 at 9:14 am