Why is Turkish delight useful, how to cook at home

Turkish delight is a sweet with a wide range of fans. Its popularity has only increased since ancient times. Previously, the benefits and harms of Turkish delight raised many questions, but now much more is known about this delicacy, as it is a real favorite among desserts.

What Turkish delight is made of

Turkish delight is a popular sweet in the East, which, according to legend, was previously created exclusively for the sultan in the 18th century in Istanbul. The method of cooking Turkish delight remains unchanged today. Dessert must necessarily consist of such components as sugar, molasses, starch and various additives, which can be chocolate, berries, candied fruits, nuts. In order for the pieces of delicacy not to stick together, you need to use powdered sugar or coconut.

Traditionally, Turkish delight takes more than two days to prepare. Now, with new technologies, it can be facilitated, but the laboriousness and duration of the process is not excluded. If you want to cook Turkish delight yourself at home, you need to arm yourself with a step-by-step recipe.

The chemical composition of Turkish delight

The composition of Turkish delight depends on the ingredients it contains: nuts, fruits, chocolate. The chemical composition of the classic Turkish delight:

The presence of a huge amount of vitamins and minerals expands the range of effects of a useful product on the body and almost completely eliminates harm.

How many calories in Turkish delight

Nutritionists do not advise to abuse this delicacy in order to avoid the formation of excess weight due to the increased calorie content and a large amount of carbohydrates. The benefits of Turkish delight are manifested only in the case of moderate intake of sweetness.

Energy value of the product:

Eating dessert within the permissible limits will not cause significant harm to the body, but, on the contrary, will show all its beneficial properties, provide energy and eliminate headaches caused by stress.

Useful properties of Turkish delight

Turkish delight, the benefits and harms of which are priceless, is distinguished by many medicinal properties due to the rich content of the natural vitamin and mineral complex. With regular use of sweets, you can feel all its useful properties, since Turkish delight is capable of:

• strengthen immunity;
• rid the body of toxins and toxins;
• normalize the work of the cardiovascular system;
• positively affect brain activity;
• accelerate the release of endorphins into the blood;
• eliminate inflammation during a cold and relieve pain;
• improve psycho-emotional state;
• activate the enzymatic reactions of the digestive system.

It is very important to consume a dessert made from natural ingredients, without any additives or colorings, to get the most out of the sweetness.

More about the benefits and harms of oriental delicacies:

Is Turkish delight possible during pregnancy and breastfeeding

The benefit of Turkish delight for women in position lies in its ability to overcome depression and strengthen the immune system, but also to provoke rapid weight gain. If this is undesirable, then you should immediately exclude this product from the diet or eat only three pieces.

During lactation, the product can cause allergies in the child, so you need to choose a sweet with less dangerous additives. During pregnancy and breastfeeding, Turkish delight should not be consumed if it contains citrus additives and bright colors.

Turkish delight for children

The sweetness made from natural ingredients, without dyes and additives, will only benefit the child. But it is not recommended to give it to babies under one year old due to the large amount of carbohydrates and allergic components.

The product will have an excellent effect on the brain activity of a student, and will help eliminate both mental and physical fatigue after an active day. Due to its beneficial properties, it is well suited for reduced mobility of a child, saturating his body with all the necessary components to give vigor and activity.

Is Turkish delight useful for losing weight

Some nutritionists recommend that you abandon this product, as it provokes an increase in body weight and the formation of a fat layer, like any product containing such an amount of easily digestible carbohydrates. If it is a favorite sweetness and you cannot refuse it, then you can simply reduce the rate of consumed sweetness, in order to avoid harm, to 50-40 g per day.

How to make Turkish delight at home

When making Turkish delight at home, you don't have to worry about the presence of such harmful components as dyes and preservatives, which are abundant in store products. To make classic Turkish delight yourself, you need to familiarize yourself with the technology of its preparation.

Ingredients:

• 500 g sugar;
• 100 g cornstarch;
• 8 g citric acid;
• 120 g of nuts (optional);
• 60 g icing sugar;
• 500 ml of water;
• optional food coloring and flavorings.

Cooking method:

1. Fry the nuts in a skillet or use the oven.
2. Combine 350 ml of water, sugar, starch and 4 g of citric acid in a saucepan and send over medium heat.
3. Stir until completely dissolved, then cook until caramelized jelly is formed.
4. Mix the remaining water and citric acid with the starch and keep until a translucent thick mixture.
5. Pour sugar syrup into the starchy mixture and keep on a minimum heat for 20 minutes.
6. Add nuts and food additives to the mass as desired, pour into molds covered with parchment and send to the refrigerator overnight.
7. Sprinkle the finished dessert with powder and serve.

The harm of Turkish delight and contraindications

The main harmful source is sugar, of which there is a lot in the dessert. There are many risks when eating dessert that should not be neglected. Therefore, the product must be excluded from the diet of people:

• diagnosed with diabetes mellitus;
• with obesity;
• suffering from allergies;
• with diseases of the stomach and intestines.

In the presence of serious chronic diseases associated with the digestive system, it is necessary to consult a doctor before introducing sweetness into the menu. Abuse of the product can cause a heaviness in the stomach, the likelihood of obesity and problems with the skin and hair.

How to choose Turkish delight

In order to choose a quality, healthy product, you must carefully read the information on the label and make sure that there are no harmful additives. By the level of transparency, you can determine the purity of the starch and the absence of dyes. The main benefit of the product lies in the presence of juice from berries, mashed potatoes, all kinds of nuts, molasses, which must be included in the composition.

The treat should be sprinkled with food such as coconut flakes or sugar, ground to a dusty state, so that the pieces do not stick together and do not lose their taste.

How to store Turkish delight

Homemade candy should be wrapped in food grade paper and placed in a cool, dry place to maintain its flavor. Films or foils should not be used as they tend to create moisture. The dessert must be protected from heat and moisture, this can spoil the taste of the product.

Store no more than six months, put in special containers to exclude the ingress of air, in a refrigerator or other place where it is cool.

Conclusion

After the benefits and harms of Turkish delight became widely known beyond the borders of the East, it became a favorite sweet of many countries, which began to use it as a traditional dish. Having familiarized yourself with the beneficial properties and contraindications, the delicacy can be safely introduced into the diet without fear of negative consequences.