Which Turkish dessert consists of fried dough balls in syrup? The answer is lokma. Lokma is made from a yeast-leavened batter that is dropped into hot oil, fried until golden, and soaked in sugar syrup or honey. The result is crisp outside, airy inside, and usually bite-sized.
The dessert has a long history across the eastern Mediterranean and Middle East. A related sweet called luqmat al-qadi, meaning “the judge’s morsels,” was recorded in 13th-century Arabic cookbooks. The Turkish name lokma comes from the Arabic luqma, meaning “morsel” or “mouthful.”
Turkish lokma has several regional forms. İzmir lokması is often ring-shaped, while spherical palace lokma is another familiar style. In Turkey, lokma is also associated with communal charity: families traditionally prepare and distribute it to neighbours after a death or on commemorative occasions.
Lokma is commonly confused with tulumba, another syrup-soaked fried sweet. Tulumba is piped into ridged, elongated pieces, whereas lokma is generally formed as small balls or rings. Greek loukoumades and Arabic luqaymat are close relatives, but the quiz’s Turkish name is lokma.