The traditional Turkish confection made from starch and sugar is called lokum.
Lokum is a gel-like sweet traditionally flavored with rosewater, mastic, lemon, or orange. It is commonly cut into cubes and dusted with powdered sugar or starch so the pieces do not stick together. Pistachios, hazelnuts, or walnuts may be folded into the mixture.
The confection became known in Europe as Turkish delight, while lokum is the Turkish name used in its country of origin. Its history is associated with Ottoman confectionery, and the modern form is often linked to an 18th-century Istanbul confectioner named Hacı Bekir.
Lokum is sometimes confused with halva, but the two sweets have different textures and methods. Halva is usually crumbly or dense and is commonly made from tahini or semolina, whereas lokum is soft, elastic, and starch-based.