Turkish delight (lokum) is a storied Ottoman sweet dating back more than two hundred years, credited to an Istanbul confectioner who used starch and sugar instead of honey to achieve a soft, gel-like texture unknown in the region before.

The secret to great lokum is slowly cooking the starch-and-sugar mixture until it turns clear and gel-like, then letting it set for many hours before cutting into cubes and coating them in powdered sugar to prevent sticking.