Turkish delight of Syros

The story of the Turkish delight takes us to the end of the 18th century. Its creation, according to one version, is due to the confectioner Hatzi Bekir. When the sultan, indignant, finally looked for a soft dessert, because he broke his tooth from the hard candy he was eating, the confectioner ran to his small workshop and masterfully made a soft mixture, cut it into small bites and sprinkled them. This is how the famous Turkish delight was "born" Rahatul Hulkum (rahat al hulcum), who granted Hadji Bekir the post of Chief Confectioner of the Palace.

Soon, Turkish delight crossed the borders of the Ottoman Empire and became his favorite dessert Napoleon the Great and much later of the English Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

The art of Turkish delight was brought to Syros from Constantinople by Chian craftsmen, who added to the recipe the Chian mastic. The first cauldron in Syros entered in 1832, while the first official seal of the baker was his Stamatelaki, 1837.

Once upon a time, Turkish delight was the sweet that was not missing from any Greek house. In difficult and bitter times, he sweetened young and old, accompanied coffee. But even this poor dessert, there were times when it was not accessible to everyone. The expression "she sees him as dry" was left, to remind how special and sought after he was once.

The best known handicrafts of Ermoupolis It is Korres, The Livadara, The Sykoutris and Only son but also some new ones, which enrich the taste with aromas such as sage, rosemary, louiza, etc.

The way of production remains the same: in the cauldron mix water, starch, sugar, pigments and aroma (rose, mastic, etc.). When the mixture is ready, add almonds, peanuts or walnuts and then spread it on a plate horizontally, sprinkle it with icing sugar and cut it into small square pieces. Of course, every carpenter has his art, but the fact is that the work is very laborious, because it is done by hand.

Along with the Turkish delights, in Syros is traditionally produced the halva pie, a cake-like cake, 12 cm in diameter and 2 cm thick. Between two thin bony sheets is included a mixture that has an elastic texture and consists of egg white, honey, sugar, glucose, vanilla aroma and whole almonds.

A one of the most picturesque moments when traveling in the Cyclades is when the boat catches up in the port of Ermoupolis and the hatch falls, dozens of white-clad Turkish delight sellers rush to the boat advertising their product in a stuttering voice: "Turkish delights, halva pies of Syros", because they have to sell within a few minutes that the ship is moored in the port. And of course they do golden jobs, because it does not mean that anyone passes through Syros and does not try its sweets.