Rakhat-lukum - the national pride of Turkey

Rakhat-lukum is a popular eastern sweet. In the Arabic translation, the concept of "rahat-lokum" (and that is how it is called in Turkey) has the meaning "sweetness for the throat".

There is an ancient legend according to which the Sultan was once tired of gnawing hazelnuts and walnuts in a snack with honey and sugar and ordered to come up with a dessert, very tasty, soft and tender. The famous confectioner Ali Mahiddin, who lived in the city of Bekir, managed to invent a sweetness that suited perfectly the requirements of the Sultan and at the same time was very easy to prepare. From the proposed food the sultan was delighted and showered the pastry chef with all sorts of favors and honors. That's exactly how the rahat-lukum appeared in the East . Recipe for delicacies very quickly spread to the territory of the countries of Asia Minor, Persia and the Middle East. Over time, the recipe was refined and eventually achieved true perfection.

Now on the shelves of shops you can find lukum with a variety of ingredients. It can be either simple or sprinkled with powdered sugar, with the addition of different varieties of nuts, coconut shavings, poppy seeds, chocolate, etc.
In Europe, a delicacy appeared due to Turkish merchants. That is why it is considered to be typically Turkish and is called "Turkish pleasure".

There are several secrets that allow you to choose the right fresh and delicious rahat-lukum. First of all, it should not be taken in a package or box, as you can not fully appreciate its freshness and quality. It is much better to choose lukum for weight in the shops of eastern sweets. Then you can pick up something that is ideal for your taste preferences. In addition, a good lukum often happens to be generously sprinkled with powdered sugar. It is also desirable to pay attention to the form of sweetness - it should be neat and smooth, otherwise, most likely, you have the remnants of the product.

You can prepare rahat-lukum yourself. To do this, take a large enamel saucepan and pour in it 4 liters of water. Put the heat on a small fire. As you heat, gradually pour 750 grams of cornstarch into the water, as it is ideal for this delicacy. Also add 5 kg of sugar and 10 grams of citric acid to the mixture. Stir this all for an hour and a half. The base should acquire a ductility, and after cooling it should be easily torn to pieces. If you stick to the whole cooking technology, you will get a very plastic and soft product.

You can also add candied fruits, nuts or chocolate powder to the still warm mixture. It is necessary to add pink water to the lukum . The prepared mass is laid on a baking tray and allowed to cool well, after which it is cut into pieces and sprinkled with coconut shavings or powdered sugar.

When cutting a cooled mass, many housewives are faced with the problem of sticking it on a knife. Avoid this can be very easy - for this it is enough just to grease the knife with ordinary vegetable oil. It is desirable to store the finished product wrapped in parchment paper to prevent airing.

Unfortunately, like most sweets, lukum is very nutritious. Of course, it can not be compared with chocolate, but, nevertheless, the caloric content of rahat-lukuma is equivalent to the majority of chocolate sweets and is 323 kcal in 100 grams. The only plus is that the dessert is very sweet, so you do not eat much. For those who appreciate their figure, but want to enjoy delicate fragrant oriental joy, it is advisable to choose rahat-lukum varieties without additional ingredients such as nuts or chocolate.

Of course, for those who are very fond of rahat-lukum, caloric content does not play a special role, but nevertheless, it is not worth it to particularly get involved, otherwise there will be problems with weight and teeth.