6 ms·

It is not easy to do it well, only ~5% of producers making it really enjoyable I can say. As a Turkish foodie with a Chef wife, Turkish Delight is not something

It is not easy to do it well, only ~5% of producers making it really enjoyable I can say. As a Turkish foodie with a Chef wife, Turkish Delight is not something we consume regularly. Unless it is very well done like the ones Haci Bekir produce. It's just a companion to Turkish Cofee most of the time. It's very easy to make a bad Turkish Delight. On 90% of my tastings, I don't even finish it, but Haci Bekir and some other shops are making it perfect which you do eat without coffee also.

vincentmarle 8y ago
I have the same thing with baklava, 90% doesn’t taste good but you always keep looking for the 10% that does. Whenever baklava is on the menu, I need to try it, but none of the fancy restaurants I’ve been to in the US do it really well (the $4 per piece ones), but the cheap corner store on Post & Powell in SF surprisingly has one of the best (and they get it from some bakery in Oakland but refuse to tell me which one).
- therein 8y ago
  Totally agreed when it comes to baklava. I never had it done right in the US, and definitely not in the Bay Area. The best Turkish food I had was in Kirkland, WA and the best baklava I had was in Turkey at Gulluoglu.
  - swampthing 8y ago
    What restaurant was it in Kirkland?
    - ChuvoniRobisi 8y ago
      Very likely, they mean Alanya Cafe by Marina Park.
      - therein 8y ago
        I had forgotten what it's called but now that you mention it, you're definitely correct.
- Broken_Hippo 8y ago
  I have the fotunate/unfortunate experience of growing up eating home-made baklava. I grew up going to an Eastern Orthodox church and most of the congregation was either immigrants or descendants of immigrants (including myself, great-grandmother was from Syria, along with some of my grandmother's siblings. My grandmother happened to be born in the US). I used to find most of it disappointing at best. My tastes have loosened up quite a bit since then because not only did I give up church, but I'm far removed from the area now.
  - RightMillennial 8y ago
    Are you saying the home-made baklava was usually disappointing or the bought baklava was? The middle eastern ladies at my Orthodox parish make delicious baklawa.
    - Broken_Hippo 8y ago
      The store-bought always was disappointing - the home-made stuff was always wonderful. Their cookies, however, were not. Anise... blech. :D
- hobs 8y ago
  Not always possible, but baklava is pretty easy to make and stores really well (since you want it cooled first anyway.) I have the same fixation with galaktoboureko (so many semolinas that are not grainy enough) but hardly anyone serves it :(
  - cik 8y ago
    Depends on the bakhlava. Pistachio, honey, those I find are done pretty well - but North Americans completely fail at dates...
- tekacs 8y ago
  If you see this - which corner store on Post & Powell? Maybe it should be obvious, but I couldn't figure it out. :)
  - vincentmarle 8y ago
    Sorry I meant Post & Polk, I mixed up the streets. Halal Green Apple Market, 1042 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109
    - tekacs 8y ago
      Thanks!
kieckerjan 8y ago
If you have a pointer to a good recipe, I would be, well, delighted!
- kweks 8y ago
  There are two typical ways to make Turkish delight. One is the "easy western" way - sugar, rosewater, gelatin. This is obviously not halal. The second is the "hard authentic" way: sugar, rosewater, cornflower. Cooking confectionery is a real trial. For Turkish delight, you heat a large amount of sugar for a very long time making it hover between a very tight temperature tolerance. If you go over you make toffee, if you go under you make caramel. After a few hours, you mix in the cornflour slurry, mix for a few more hours, and then pour to set. In my experience, your cornflour lumps (three hours wasted), the temperature spikes or drops (fail), sticks (fail) or you get hot sticky napalm on extremities. However, if you pull it off it is delightful, and your Turkish friends will be very impressed!
  - denzil_correa 8y ago
    Thanks for the recipes! That said my personal opinion is that, recipes are best communicated when they are as precise and clear as possible. Therefore, words like a "few hours", "cook it for sometime", "large amount" etc. would generally give very little detail to try. I do understand that not everything can be precise but in those situations it is important to communicate WHY one can not be precise. Otherwise, it is very difficult to follow recipes.
    - nkrisc 8y ago
      I don't think this was intended to be a detailed recipe, but a description intended to give an idea of what goes in to the process of making it.
  - mrob 8y ago
    >One is the "easy western" way - sugar, rosewater, gelatin. This is obviously not halal. Why can't you use halal beef gelatin?
mlevental 8y ago
I'm going to be in Istanbul in 3 weeks for the first time. can you tell me where I could buy some please
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
- nl 8y ago
  Perhaps read the article?
- makmanalp 8y ago
  Ali Muhiddin Haci Bekir in Sirkeci is the defacto choice - their store still looks exactly the way it must have looked in the early 1900s. Cafer Erol in Kadikoy has a very nice storefront and a LOT of variety, and pretty decent hard candy ("akide") too. Divan is more of a western patisserie and has many locations, but good. Cemilzade is the off-beat version of Haci Bekir, also in Kadikoy. A lot of options: pomegrenate, saffron, twice baked, clotted cream ("kaymak"), coffee, coconut, pistachio, almost any fruit imaginable etc etc. Just don't get the boxed stuff, and get a lot of variety of flavors. Also I seem to be the only person who hates the rosewater, but maybe that's just me. For baklava, it's really a labor of love and there's a lot of great old and small shops. Gulluoglu used to be great and is still quite OK, but feels a but mass produced now. Smaller options are Köşkeroğlu, kafadaroğlu etc, but I don't know if it's worth seeking out especially - just duck into whatever small shop that seems busy during the day. Probably what might be a better experience is trying /unfamiliar/ desserts: Kunefe is crispy shredded puff pastry with cheese in it, doused in syrup, served HOT with pistachio on top. Tulumba is the turkish take on churros. Halva is made of tahini and sugar, and is getting more popular in the US. Kazandibi is pudding that's been caramelized / burnt at the "bottom of the pan" - traditionally the gelatin in it comes from chicken breast (you can't taste it). More often it's now the "fake" version, still delicious. Lokma is turkish fried dough. Kabak tatlisi is made of pumpkin. There's so much to try, just get the stuff which you don't know what it is. One thing to remember is that Turkish sweets are quite sweet - you're only meant to have one small piece. Of course that won't stop many of us from getting a whole plate :-) Usually you can ask for a half portion at a shop. Finally if you're near Kadikoy, hit up Ciya too - regional foods from across Turkey that you can't find in many other places. Hope you enjoy your trip!
pow_pp_-1_v 8y ago
I like Turkish food a lot too. Do you have suggestions/tips/pointer on where to get good Turkish food; authentic recipes etc.? Thanks!
- makmanalp 8y ago
  Hey! Unfortunately it's a bit hard to find English resources - both in the sense that there aren't many to begin with but also the books are difficult to get hold of. Classical Turkish Cooking by Ayla Algar is, well, a classic. People often think the recipes aren't descriptive enough. But also it's quite comprehensive and has a lot of history too. Aegean Flavors by chef Didem Senol is a wonderful take on aegean cuisine in Turkey - highly related to greek food. Oklava by chef Selin Kiazim is a bit more of a modern / upscale restaurant take - she runs one. Claudia Roden's book is not only about Turkey but quite great. Hope this helps!
  - pow_pp_-1_v 8y ago
    Thank you!
cik 8y ago
Exactly this. Many of the foods we get outside of our cultural norms, just don't compare to the real thing - which in turn drives people to dislike the real deal. There's an enormous difference between the Turkish Delight sold in the grocery stores here, versus Haci Bekir. The same is true of the Arak I buy and the jahnoun. Lord what I wouldn't give for real jahnoun - the frozen stuff is such shite.

vincentmarle 8y ago

I have the same thing with baklava, 90% doesn’t taste good but you always keep looking for the 10% that does. Whenever baklava is on the menu, I need to try it, but none of the fancy restaurants I’ve been to in the US do it really well (the $4 per piece ones), but the cheap corner store on Post & Powell in SF surprisingly has one of the best (and they get it from some bakery in Oakland but refuse to tell me which one).

therein 8y ago
Totally agreed when it comes to baklava. I never had it done right in the US, and definitely not in the Bay Area. The best Turkish food I had was in Kirkland, WA and the best baklava I had was in Turkey at Gulluoglu.
- swampthing 8y ago
  What restaurant was it in Kirkland?
  - ChuvoniRobisi 8y ago
    Very likely, they mean Alanya Cafe by Marina Park.
    - therein 8y ago
      I had forgotten what it's called but now that you mention it, you're definitely correct.
Broken_Hippo 8y ago
I have the fotunate/unfortunate experience of growing up eating home-made baklava. I grew up going to an Eastern Orthodox church and most of the congregation was either immigrants or descendants of immigrants (including myself, great-grandmother was from Syria, along with some of my grandmother's siblings. My grandmother happened to be born in the US). I used to find most of it disappointing at best. My tastes have loosened up quite a bit since then because not only did I give up church, but I'm far removed from the area now.
- RightMillennial 8y ago
  Are you saying the home-made baklava was usually disappointing or the bought baklava was? The middle eastern ladies at my Orthodox parish make delicious baklawa.
  - Broken_Hippo 8y ago
    The store-bought always was disappointing - the home-made stuff was always wonderful. Their cookies, however, were not. Anise... blech. :D
hobs 8y ago
Not always possible, but baklava is pretty easy to make and stores really well (since you want it cooled first anyway.) I have the same fixation with galaktoboureko (so many semolinas that are not grainy enough) but hardly anyone serves it :(
- cik 8y ago
  Depends on the bakhlava. Pistachio, honey, those I find are done pretty well - but North Americans completely fail at dates...
tekacs 8y ago
If you see this - which corner store on Post & Powell? Maybe it should be obvious, but I couldn't figure it out. :)
- vincentmarle 8y ago
  Sorry I meant Post & Polk, I mixed up the streets. Halal Green Apple Market, 1042 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109
  - tekacs 8y ago
    Thanks!

kieckerjan 8y ago

If you have a pointer to a good recipe, I would be, well, delighted!

kweks 8y ago
There are two typical ways to make Turkish delight. One is the "easy western" way - sugar, rosewater, gelatin. This is obviously not halal. The second is the "hard authentic" way: sugar, rosewater, cornflower. Cooking confectionery is a real trial. For Turkish delight, you heat a large amount of sugar for a very long time making it hover between a very tight temperature tolerance. If you go over you make toffee, if you go under you make caramel. After a few hours, you mix in the cornflour slurry, mix for a few more hours, and then pour to set. In my experience, your cornflour lumps (three hours wasted), the temperature spikes or drops (fail), sticks (fail) or you get hot sticky napalm on extremities. However, if you pull it off it is delightful, and your Turkish friends will be very impressed!
- denzil_correa 8y ago
  Thanks for the recipes! That said my personal opinion is that, recipes are best communicated when they are as precise and clear as possible. Therefore, words like a "few hours", "cook it for sometime", "large amount" etc. would generally give very little detail to try. I do understand that not everything can be precise but in those situations it is important to communicate WHY one can not be precise. Otherwise, it is very difficult to follow recipes.
  - nkrisc 8y ago
    I don't think this was intended to be a detailed recipe, but a description intended to give an idea of what goes in to the process of making it.
- mrob 8y ago
  >One is the "easy western" way - sugar, rosewater, gelatin. This is obviously not halal. Why can't you use halal beef gelatin?

mlevental 8y ago

I'm going to be in Istanbul in 3 weeks for the first time. can you tell me where I could buy some please

deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
nl 8y ago
Perhaps read the article?
makmanalp 8y ago
Ali Muhiddin Haci Bekir in Sirkeci is the defacto choice - their store still looks exactly the way it must have looked in the early 1900s. Cafer Erol in Kadikoy has a very nice storefront and a LOT of variety, and pretty decent hard candy ("akide") too. Divan is more of a western patisserie and has many locations, but good. Cemilzade is the off-beat version of Haci Bekir, also in Kadikoy. A lot of options: pomegrenate, saffron, twice baked, clotted cream ("kaymak"), coffee, coconut, pistachio, almost any fruit imaginable etc etc. Just don't get the boxed stuff, and get a lot of variety of flavors. Also I seem to be the only person who hates the rosewater, but maybe that's just me. For baklava, it's really a labor of love and there's a lot of great old and small shops. Gulluoglu used to be great and is still quite OK, but feels a but mass produced now. Smaller options are Köşkeroğlu, kafadaroğlu etc, but I don't know if it's worth seeking out especially - just duck into whatever small shop that seems busy during the day. Probably what might be a better experience is trying /unfamiliar/ desserts: Kunefe is crispy shredded puff pastry with cheese in it, doused in syrup, served HOT with pistachio on top. Tulumba is the turkish take on churros. Halva is made of tahini and sugar, and is getting more popular in the US. Kazandibi is pudding that's been caramelized / burnt at the "bottom of the pan" - traditionally the gelatin in it comes from chicken breast (you can't taste it). More often it's now the "fake" version, still delicious. Lokma is turkish fried dough. Kabak tatlisi is made of pumpkin. There's so much to try, just get the stuff which you don't know what it is. One thing to remember is that Turkish sweets are quite sweet - you're only meant to have one small piece. Of course that won't stop many of us from getting a whole plate :-) Usually you can ask for a half portion at a shop. Finally if you're near Kadikoy, hit up Ciya too - regional foods from across Turkey that you can't find in many other places. Hope you enjoy your trip!

pow_pp_-1_v 8y ago

I like Turkish food a lot too. Do you have suggestions/tips/pointer on where to get good Turkish food; authentic recipes etc.? Thanks!

makmanalp 8y ago
Hey! Unfortunately it's a bit hard to find English resources - both in the sense that there aren't many to begin with but also the books are difficult to get hold of. Classical Turkish Cooking by Ayla Algar is, well, a classic. People often think the recipes aren't descriptive enough. But also it's quite comprehensive and has a lot of history too. Aegean Flavors by chef Didem Senol is a wonderful take on aegean cuisine in Turkey - highly related to greek food. Oklava by chef Selin Kiazim is a bit more of a modern / upscale restaurant take - she runs one. Claudia Roden's book is not only about Turkey but quite great. Hope this helps!
- pow_pp_-1_v 8y ago
  Thank you!

cik 8y ago

Exactly this. Many of the foods we get outside of our cultural norms, just don't compare to the real thing - which in turn drives people to dislike the real deal. There's an enormous difference between the Turkish Delight sold in the grocery stores here, versus Haci Bekir. The same is true of the Arak I buy and the jahnoun. Lord what I wouldn't give for real jahnoun - the frozen stuff is such shite.