If you want to taste the famous sweets of Syros, explore the island where they are made and start your daily conversation in Greek with one of the shop owners or loukoumatzídes then a Greek Language and Culture course at Omilo is exactly what you need! Loukoum originated in the Ottoman Empire and it spread throughout the Balkan peninsula. They were brought to Greece in the 19th century by refugees from Asia Minor. Interestingly, Loukoumi is not that popular among Greeks, but tourist seems to adore them. On the other side, Keto Turkish Delight might become popular among Ketonian Greeks and Non-Greeks! 😉 From Narnia to Ketonia To this day, Haci Bekir is still one of the most famous purveyors of lokum in Istanbul, making this story sound a bit too pat. According to the Ottoman food historian Priscilla Mary Işın, author of Sherbet and Spice: The Complete Story of Turkish Sweets and Desserts and the more recent title Bountiful Empire: A History of Ottoman Cuisine , confectioners at the Ottoman palace developed lokum as we know it today. “The document I found shows that in the late 18th century there was an attempt to forbid city confectioners from producing lokum, because it was a specialty of the palace confectioners,” she told us.

You would not believe how many texts on Turkish Delight and its significant meaning as the ultimate temptation in C.S. Lewis’ Narnia have been published! I am talking about scientific works here. Academic discussions are submerging Edmund’s Turkish delight obsession, the ultimate reason he sells out his siblings to the evil witch… How funny, right? Rahät Loukoum by Serge Lutens Les Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido (1998)". Basenotes Fragrance Directory . Retrieved 2014-08-01.According to Ermoupolis’ municipal archive, the first loukoumi maker on the island was Georgios Arfanis, from Efessos. But the first branded loukoumi is that made by Nikolaos Stamatelakis, from Chios, in 1837, with the label “Stamatelakis. Almond Syros Loukoumi”. In 1920, Athanasiou passed on the business to his daughter Chariklia and her husband Gabriel Hadjizinoviou. The torch was then passed to their son, Nikodemos Gabriel and since 1990 his wife Evdokia and their son George have continued the tradition. Made with the best ingredients, without preservatives, Greek delight wrapped individually piece by piece. The origin of Turkish delight is not precisely known, but the confection is known to have been produced in Turkey and Iran ( Persia) as early as the late 18th century. Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006". Official Journal of the European Union. 2007-04-21 . Retrieved 2015-11-15.

The sweetness and nostalgia of walking around the narrow, marbled alleys of majestic Ermoupolis is equal to the sweetness of the famous loukoumi (Turkish delight) from Syros that melts in your mouth and of which you can never have just one. Handmade Greek Delight (or “loukoumia” as we call them) with respect to tradition. Best quality, they are made using only the best ingredients. Small pieces (one bite each). Similarly, the loukoumia from the Greek city of Patra are so famous they have their own name—”Patrina Loukoumia.”

Mastic

First, the water with the citric acid, the sugar, and the starch boil for two hours in a copper pot.