List of Turkish desserts facts for kids
Turkish cuisine is famous for its many delicious desserts! From sweet pastries soaked in syrup to creamy puddings and refreshing fruit dishes, there's a treat for everyone. Many of these desserts have a long history, some even dating back to the Ottoman Empire. They are often enjoyed after meals, during special celebrations, or just as a sweet snack with a cup of Turkish tea or coffee.
Contents
Popular Turkish Desserts
Acıbadem Kurabiyesi
These are special almond biscuits. They get their unique flavor from bitter almonds or a syrup made from them. They are very popular in the city of Edirne.
Ayva Tatlısı
Ayva tatlısı is a yummy fruit dessert made with quince. Quince is a fruit that looks a bit like a pear. This sweet treat comes from the city of Bursa.
Badem Ezmesi
This dessert is a type of Marzipan. It's a sweet paste made from ground almonds and sugar. It can be shaped into different forms and is often enjoyed as a candy.
Baklava
.png)
Baklava is one of the most famous Turkish desserts! It's made from many super-thin layers of dough, called phyllo. These layers are filled with finely chopped nuts, like pistachios or walnuts. After baking, it's soaked in a sweet syrup called sharbat.
Bici Bici
This is a cool and refreshing shaved ice dessert, perfect for hot days! It's sweetened with powdered sugar and a red syrup made from fruit or flowers. People often add extra toppings like fresh fruits. Bici Bici comes from the city of Adana.
İzmir Bombası
Also known as the "Bomb of İzmir," these cookies are a chocolate lover's dream! They are filled with a delicious chocolate spread, which creates a "chocolatey explosion" when you bite into them. These tasty treats come from the city of İzmir.
Cezerye
Cezerye is a unique Turkish candy. It's a soft, gelatin-like sweet made from caramelized carrots. It's mixed with shredded coconut and roasted nuts, giving it a chewy and nutty texture.
Cevizli Sucuk
This interesting candy looks like a sausage, but it's sweet! Walnuts are strung together on a thread, then coated in a thick, sweet juice made from grapes or mulberries. It's then dried until it's firm.
Dondurma
Dondurma is traditional Turkish ice cream. It's famous for being very chewy and stretchy, unlike regular ice cream. The sellers are also known for playing fun tricks with customers before serving it! The most traditional flavor is "Damla sakızı," which means "Gummy Drops" and comes from the mastic tree. This ice cream originated in the city of Kahramanmaraş.
Ekmek Kadayıfı
This is a delicious bread pudding. The bread or sponge cake dough is mixed with pistachios and hazelnuts before it's baked. Then, it's soaked in a sweet syrup and often served with fresh clotted cream called kaymak. This dessert comes from the city of Afyonkarahisar.
Güllaç
Güllaç is a light and delicate Turkish pastry made with milk and pomegranate. It's said that this dessert was first created in the kitchen of the Ottoman palace in 1489 by a chef named Ali from Kastamonu. It's especially popular during the holy month of Ramadan.
Hanım Göbeği
The name of this dessert means "Lady's Navel"! It consists of deep-fried balls of choux pastry (a light dough) that are then soaked in a simple sweet syrup. They are soft and sweet.
Hoşmerim
Also known as cheese halvah, Hoşmerim is a homemade dessert made from cheese, semolina (a type of flour), and powdered sugar. It's often served with ice cream, honey, or nuts. It comes from the Marmara Region, with the city of Balıkesir being especially known for it.
Kabak Tatlısı
This is a sweet dish made from candied pumpkin. The pumpkin is cooked until soft and sweet, then often topped with walnuts and sometimes fresh kaymak cream or tahin (sesame paste). It's a comforting and healthy dessert.
Kalburabastı
Kalburabastı are sweet pastries that are drenched in syrup. They have a unique shape, often pressed against a sieve or grater to create a pattern. These are frequently served during Islamic holidays.
Kazandibi
Kazandibi is a delicious caramelized milk pudding. Its name means "bottom of the cauldron" because it's made by burning the bottom layer of a milk pudding until it's caramelized and slightly crispy. This gives it a unique and tasty flavor.
Künefe
Künefe is a warm, cheesy, and sweet dessert. It's made with thin strands of dough called tel kadayif, which are filled with a layer of unsalted cheese. It's baked until golden and crispy, then soaked in sweet sharbat syrup. It's often served hot, sometimes with a scoop of dondurma on top.
Lokma
Lokma are small, round, deep-fried dough balls. After being fried, they are soaked in sweet sharbat syrup. Traditionally, they are served plain, but nowadays, you can find them with toppings like coconut powder, cinnamon, pistachios, chocolate sauce, or fruits. They are very popular in Aegean cities like İzmir.
Lokum
In English-speaking countries, Lokum is known as "Turkish Delight." It's a soft, chewy, gelatinous candy, often flavored with rosewater, lemon, or mint, and mixed with nuts. It's traditionally eaten with Turkish coffee to balance its strong taste.
Macun
Macun is a traditional Turkish toffee candy. It's not hard like many toffees; instead, it's soft and stretchy. It's often served by street vendors who stretch it onto a stick, like a lollipop, making it a fun treat to eat.
Pişmaniye
Pişmaniye is a unique Turkish sweet that often reminds people of cotton candy, but it's quite different! It's made by roasting flour in butter and then blending it into pulled sugar. This creates delicate, fine strands that are sweet and melt in your mouth.
Revani
Revani is a moist and sweet cake made from semolina (a type of flour). After baking, the cake is soaked in a sweet sharbat syrup, which makes it very juicy and flavorful. Sometimes, it's flavored with lemon zest.
Şekerpare
Şekerpare are soft, sweet almond pastries. They are baked until golden and then soaked in a lemon-flavored sharbat syrup. They are a popular dessert, especially for special occasions.
Şöbiyet
Şöbiyet is a pastry that is very similar to baklava. However, instead of just nuts, it's filled with a sweet cream and nuts, giving it an even richer and creamier taste. It also uses thin phyllo dough layers.
Sütlaç
Sütlaç is a classic and comforting Turkish Rice pudding. It's made simply with rice, milk, and sugar, cooked until creamy. It's often baked in the oven to create a slightly caramelized top layer, which adds to its delicious flavor.
Tavuk Göğsü
This is a very unique Turkish milk pudding! What makes it special is that it's traditionally made with very fine strands of chicken breast. Don't worry, you can't taste the chicken! It just gives the pudding a smooth, thick texture.
Tulumba
Tulumba are popular deep-fried pastries. They are made from a special batter dough, which is piped into small, ridged shapes. After frying until golden, they are immediately soaked in a sweet sharbat syrup, making them crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.
Zerde
Zerde is a sweet rice pudding that stands out because of its beautiful yellow color. This color comes from saffron, a precious spice. It's a festive dessert, often served at weddings and other celebrations.
See also
In Spanish: Anexo:Postres en la cocina turca para niños
