Turkish delight: benefits and harm to the body

Every sweet tooth dreams of oriental sweets. The most common Eastern delicacy is Turkish delight.

What Turkish Delight Is Made From

It contains such components: granulated sugar, molasses, flour, starch and nuts. Turkish delight is not only an exquisite dessert that gives incredible pleasure to real sweeteners, but also it is a sweet, when consumed, it improves the mood and improves well-being.

Translated from Turkish, “rahat” is a pleasure from food, and “varnish” is a dessert slice. It is believed that Turkish delight appeared on the Balkan Peninsula. According to historians, for the first time dessert was made by a pastry chef in Istanbul in the 18th century. Legend has it that Turkish delight was invented and presented to the voluptuous sultan who loved women very much. The ability to increase potency and saturate the body with power for making love is considered one of the merits of dessert. The confectioner was called Ali Haji Bekir. The Honorable Sultan was a sweet tooth. One day, his tooth broke while eating hard candy, and he fell into incredible rage. The confectioner had to come up with a new dessert literally overnight. According to another version, this sultan was a great lover of women and was the owner of a large harem. To please and pamper his wives in every possible way, the Sultan forced his servants to invent new sweets.

Haji Bekir made his descendants rich, they opened a shop and traded sweets. In the 19th century, they brought Turkish delight to an exhibition in Brussels. Dessert won the gold medal and conquered Europe, having received wide distribution. Even in England they began to use this dessert with the famous tea party at five o’clock.

Today, Turkish delight is produced by 50 countries around the world. The name of the species depends on the products of which it is made. Turkish delight happens:

1. White (use the classic recipe with water, starch and sugar.).
2. Fruit (during production, fruit juice or puree is added to sugar).
3. Walnut (or with the addition of dried fruits, zest, etc.).
4. Petal (the so-called Turkish delight with the addition of flower petals, for example, roses).
5. Honey (in it, traditional sugar is replaced by honey).
6. Fig (figs complement the dessert with new taste notes).

Chemical composition and calorie content

Turkish delight has the following chemical composition (data are based on 100 g):

• proteins - 0.8 g;
• fats - 0.7 g;
• carbohydrates - 79.4 g.

The energy value of the dessert is 316 calories (this is normal). If additives are present in it, then its calorie content changes. So, in Turkish delight with hazelnuts already 386 kcal, with peanuts - 398, in fruit - 411, in pink - 330, with walnuts - 373.

When honey and nuts are added to the recipe, Turkish delight becomes a source of vitamin E. Berries and fruit juice fill the Turkish delight with minerals and vitamins.

What is useful for Turkish delight

The fact that Turkish delight is very high in calories does not make it a harmful product. Filling it with glucose makes it even beneficial for the body.

1. Glucose regulates cardiac activity, brain function, enhances the production of endorphins (mood hormones and performance). Another property of glucose is an improvement in intestinal motility and a beneficial effect on the condition of hair and nails.
2. An unexpected benefit of Turkish delight is an increase in immunity.The combination of glucose and starch produces a substance that helps a person in the fight against colds and viruses.
3. The main benefits are the additional ingredients that are added to the dessert. Turkish delight with slices of orange and lemon zest will help to heal with a cold. The addition of honey helps to improve blood quality and normalize digestion processes.
4. Turkish delight is recommended for people engaged in mental work. This dessert helps stimulate brain neurons, thereby increasing concentration and memory.
5. From antiquity to the present day, people endow Turkish delight with the properties of aphrodisiacs. With the help of it, female sexuality and attractiveness are revealed.

Is Turkish delight possible during pregnancy?

During pregnancy, it will be wise to abandon the use of a large number of oriental sweets. But if you really want to, then you can eat a couple of slices. Look carefully at the composition of the dessert, among the additives you need to exclude citrus fruits, as well as bright dyes.

In the absence of intolerance to any ingredient of Turkish delight (starch or sugar), you can enjoy this dessert throughout your pregnancy. Eastern sweets (marshmallows, marmalades) are more useful than various sweets, cakes and pastries. If you want, you can eat a couple of pieces, it will not harm either mom or baby.

Turkish delight when breastfeeding

When a woman is breastfeeding, her life becomes difficult, because she needs to give up sweets, as they can badly affect the condition of the baby, especially in the first months of life. Due to the fact that mainly natural ingredients are used in the production of Turkish delight, it can be included in small quantities in the nutrition of a nursing mother.

Is it possible to eat Turkish delight when losing weight

Due to the fact that Turkish delight has a rather high calorie content, you should not eat more than 50 grams per day. If you want to lose weight, you should completely refrain from this dessert. A large amount of sugar in its formulation provokes a metabolic disorder, which leads to fat formation and an increase in the body.

Harm and contraindications

Abuse of Turkish delight can lead to the development of diseases such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus and obesity. In the body, sweetness is converted into adipose tissue, which penetrates the internal organs and under the skin.

The components of Turkish delight block the work of the endocrine glands, contribute to the disruption of the secretion of digestive enzymes that produce the stomach, pancreas, intestines. They contribute to the destruction of tooth enamel. If a person has chronic diseases or leads a sedentary lifestyle, then he is better off giving up this dessert.

How to make Turkish Delight at home

After the invention of this dessert in the 18th century, its recipe has not changed to this day. By tradition, sweets are prepared in two days. The main secret of cooking is constant and thorough mixing.

White Turkish Delight: recipe

• Cooking time - 1 hour.
• Servings - 6.
• Energy value - 350 kcal per 100 g.
• Appointment - a dessert dish.
• By the degree of difficulty of preparation - low.

Components: 7 tbsp. tablespoons of sugar, 75 ml of whipped cream, 7 tbsp. tablespoons of semolina, 3 cups of milk, 100 g of coconut flakes, nuts (almonds).

Cooking Turkish Delight:

1. Mix sugar, semolina and milk in a large container. Boil the mixture over low heat until thickened.
2. After the mixture has cooled to room temperature, pour in the cream, which previously beat.
3. Put the mixture in a cold place.
4. After 40 minutes, when the mixture cools down, take a spoon, moisten it in water and divide the mass into pieces.Dip in coconut and put on a dish, sprinkle nuts on top.

Turkish delight classic

• The cooking time is 1 hour.
• The result is 6 servings.
• Energy value - 389 kcal per 100 g.
• Appointment - treat guests.
• By the difficulty of cooking - low.

Components: nuts - 120 g, one and a half glasses of water, granulated sugar - 480 g, citric acid, starch - 55 g.

Cooking process:

1. First, prepare the nuts (hazelnuts, peanuts - 120 g). Fry in a frying pan without oil for about five minutes.
2. In a saucepan, mix water (one and a half glasses), granulated sugar (480 g) and half a pack of citric acid (4 g). Stir until the grains are completely dissolved.
3. When the boiling begins, reduce the heat to a minimum and continue stirring until a thick consistency of caramel color.
4. In another container, mix the remaining water, citric acid and starch (55 g). Cook until translucent over low heat. Pour in the first syrup to this mixture and simmer on low heat for a quarter of an hour. Insert the nuts.
5. Then pour the mixture on parchment and refrigerate for 7-8 hours.
6. After solidification, cut the mass into squares and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Pumpkin Turkish Delight

Pumpkin Turkish Delight - an unusual dessert and a real lifesaver for mothers. This dish is very like the little sweet tooth.

• How much time is needed - 1 hour.
• Willingness - 8 servings.
• Energy value - 330 kcal per 100 g.
• Appointment - a sweet dish.
• The degree of preparation is low.

Components: sugar - 400 g, pumpkin pulp - 200 g, a couple of glasses of starch, juice of half a lemon, water - 100 ml.

Cooking:

1. Boil water and sugar.
2. Add pumpkin pulp and simmer until softened.
3. Allow the mixture to cool and grind with a blender to a mash condition. Put it on the fire again.
4. Add starch dissolved in water.
5. After a few minutes, remove the mixture from the heat and cool.
6. Divide the cooled mixture into pieces and place in a cold place.
7. After a few hours put on a dish, roll in powder.

Turkish delight

They will also appreciate the little sweetened and Turkish delight from carrots. Cooking it is not at all difficult.

• Cooking time - 1 hour.
• The volume of the treat is 8 servings.
• Energy value - 330 kcal per 100 g.
• Appointment - dessert.
• The difficulty of cooking is low.

Components: 185 g of starch, 35 g of lemon peel, 80 ml of water, 150 g of walnuts, 500 g of carrots, 90 g of coconut flakes, 150 g of granulated sugar.

Cooking:

1. Wash carrots, dry with towels, grate on a fine-grained grater.
2. In a container, mix with water and granulated sugar. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, otherwise the carrots may burn.
3. After 15 minutes, add the zest of lemon and chopped nuts, as well as starch, diluted in cold water to the density of sour cream.
4. Cook for three minutes.
5. Cover a baking sheet with small sides of parchment and pour a sweet mixture into it.
6. After cooling, make holes with a toothpick, cover and place in a cold place for complete solidification for 7 hours.
7. Cut into pieces, roll in starch, sprinkle with coconut flakes.

Turkish delight

It’s not at all difficult to cook Turkish delight from apples.

• Cooking - 1 hour.
• The volume of dessert is 8 servings.
• Energy value - 280 kcal per 100 g.
• The purpose of the dish is dessert.
• The degree of cooking is low.

Components: starch - 120 g, sugar - 50 g, walnuts - 50 g, apples - 4 pcs., water, coconut flakes.

Cooking:

1. First of all, make jam from apples. Peel apples and cores. Stew with water and sugar in a casserole.
2. Add some walnuts to them.
3. Pour the starch with a thin stream of dissolved starch into the mixture.
4. Constantly stir the mass in a saucepan until it becomes thick and transparent.
5. Simmer the mixture on fire for about an hour, stirring occasionally.
6. Put in the refrigerator for 12 hours, divide into pieces and roll in coconut shavings.

Turkish delight is very good with coffee or tea. It will also be delicious if you drink it with juice or cool milk.

Turkish delight with pistachios

Pistachio Turkish delight has an unusual pleasant taste.

• Readiness - 1 hour.
• Volume - 7 servings.
• Energy value - 327 kcal per 100 g.
• Application - dessert.
• According to the degree of difficulty of preparation - average.

Components: 1 cup of water, 3.5 cups of granulated sugar, 200 g of pistachios, 20 g of lemon, sweet powder, coconut, 1 cup of starch, a little cinnamon.

Cooking process:

1. Melt the sugar with water over a fire, pour in the corn starch dissolved in water and bring to a density.
2. Add acid.
3. Arrange the pistachio nuts on a baking sheet, pour the resulting mass.
4. Set in the cold.
5. After cooling, after a few hours, divide into slices, roll in sweet powder, then in coconut flakes.

Strawberry Turkish Delight

Pieces of Turkish delight are similar to marmalade. Both adults and children like it. If gelatin is added to the recipe, it will give the dessert ductility.

• How much time is needed - 1 hour.
• Product yield - 4 servings.
• Energy value - 164 kcal per 100 g.
• Appointment - desserts.
• The complexity of the preparation is average.

Components: half a lemon, 15 g of gelatin, 150 g of icing sugar, 200 g of strawberries.

Cooking:

1. Pour gelatin for swelling into strawberries chopped with a blender.
2. Add juice squeezed from lemon, powder, and, not boiling, warm over low heat.
3. Cool and beat with a mixer for 5 minutes.
4. Fold in forms and put in the cold for 5 hours.
5. After final hardening, divide into pieces, dip in icing sugar.

Chocolate Turkish Delight

It tastes very good Turkish delight with the addition of chocolate. These oriental sweets can be prepared at home.

• Cooking time - 1 hour.
• Whole product - 6 servings.
• Energy value - 340 kcal per 100 g.
• Appointment - east sweet.
• By level of preparation - average

Components: 950 g of sugar, icing sugar, one lemon, 130 g of starch, 80 g of milk powder, 110 g of dark chocolate, 2 eggs.

Cooking:

1. Beat the separated and chilled proteins to a thick foam.
2. In a container, mix sugar, milk, lemon juice and water. Add grated chocolate.
3. After adding whipped proteins, put the mixture on fire and bring to a boil, stirring all the time.
4. Pour in a thin stream the starch dissolved in water.
5. After 7 minutes, pour the mass onto a baking sheet lined with parchment.
6. Clean in a cold place for seven hours.
7. When the dessert has completely cooled down and hardens, cut into slices and roll in icing sugar.

Turkish delight

Turkish delight is a traditional Turkish treat. Even the most inexperienced housewife can cope with its preparation, if you do not depart from the instructions.

• The time for cooking is 1 hour.
• The finished product - 7 servings.
• Energy value - 398 kcal per 100 g.
• Appointment - a sweet dessert.
• On the difficulty in cooking - average.

Components: 25 g of lemon peel, 45 g of powdered sugar, 60 g of hazelnuts and almonds, 55 g of corn starch, 480 g of granulated sugar, 0.75 g of rose oil, 245 ml of water, 45-50 g of honey, 4 g of vanillin.

Cooking process:

1. Pour 145 ml of water and pour sugar into it.
2. In another container, soak the starch and mix it with the sugar mass.
3. Put a container with this mass on fire, after 6 minutes, reduce heat and simmer until thickened.
4. Fry nuts in a pan without oil, cool to room temperature and add to the sweet mass.
5. Add rose oil, zest, honey and vanilla sugar. Continuing to stir, bring to uniformity.
6. Cover the baking sheet with parchment, pour and level the mass.
7. Remove to solidify in a cold place for 6 hours.
8. When the treat hardens completely, cut, roll in starch, then in powdered sugar.

What is sprinkled with Turkish delight

Usually, Turkish delight is crushed in starch after cooking, and then, after shaking, with powdered sugar (it can also be pre-mixed with coconut flakes). It is because of this that the sprinkle becomes sweet.

How to store Turkish delight

For storage, Turkish delight is wrapped in food paper and placed in a dry, cool place. A film or foil is categorically not suitable for storage, since moisture forms in them. Sweetness must be stored so that heat or humidity does not spoil the taste. If you put the sweets in a special container that will close the air, and place them in the refrigerator or other cool place, then you can store it for six months.

Is it possible to eat Turkish delight in fasting

Most Eastern sweets during Lent can replace pastries and sweets that are not allowed for eating, prepared with cow's milk, butter, eggs. In Turkish delight, all ingredients are of vegetable origin. Nuts, granulated sugar and starch, which are in the dessert recipe, are allowed on fasting days. So Turkish delight can be eaten in fasting. Just do not get involved in it.

More important is not what you put in your mouth, but what kind of words fly out of it. It is not scary to eat something forbidden, it is important to keep your thoughts and feelings clean. Food is only in second place. The heart is on the first.

Fact: An interesting fact about Turkish delight is its use since ancient Rome as an antiseptic and analgesic for angina. Ancient healers recommended it to their patients.

Turkish delight photo