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When loukoumi was first made in Istanbul, it was called rahatul hulkum, meaning “that which relieves the larynx”. Loukoumi came from the corruption of this name of the sweet which Anglo-Saxons call ‘Turkish delight’.
In Greece, the art of making Turkish delight arrived from Istanbul in the first decades of the 19th century. Over the years, Greek makers of Turkish delight have added new ingredients to the classic recipe and loukoumi is now established as a part of Greek tradition. Today, Turkish delight is produced in many parts of Greece, but the most famous ones are made on the island of Syros, the soutzouk loukoum of the town of Komotini in northern Greece and, in a variation, the akanes of the town of Serres, also in northern Greece.
Soutzouk loukoum is a delicious, large loukoumi that contains sugar, glucose, starch flour, water and nuts, with aromas that are diverse and rich: rose, must, clove, cinnamon, and bergamot.
It is served in coffee houses and at Orthodox monasteries is a traditional offering of welcome.
