A riddle for the sharp-witted: what do Pablo Picasso, sweets and unusual shapes have in common?

All right, listen up — a Monday question for sweet lovers and everyone else! We know, we know — Monday is a tough day, but we're about to sweeten it up a bit.

Anyone guess it? All right, let's not keep you in suspense. It's Turkish delight (rahat lokum). Chewy, sweet, aromatic. They say Pablo used to chew it slowly and thoughtfully, and that was when he came up with the idea of the rounded forms in his paintings. You can look up those works!

Interesting facts

And another thing — Turkish delight isn't a sweet for restless people. You can't eat it while running, standing in a hallway, or between two phone calls. Lokum demands time and at least a cup of tea. No wonder it was born in a culture where conversation isn't an introduction to business — conversation is the business. Anyone who's been in the East will understand. There, you can't even pay a utility bill without a proper chat :)

In the East, tea is drunk for a long time. A very long time. So long that a European starts to think they simply forgot to bring up the terms of the deal. Spoiler: they haven't. It's just not on protocol. They'll discuss everything — the weather, relatives, the difficult daughter-in-law, the neighbor's goat, football — and only then get to the terms. Or sometimes the other way around.

Turkish delight plays an important supporting role in this process: you can chew it slowly and pensively, coming back to the thought the 25th cup of tea in a row distracted you from. In short, the participants in the conversation aren't going anywhere.

There's a version of the story where Turkish delight was born because of a tooth. Not an abstract one — a very specific one, belonging to a sultan. One of the Ottoman rulers broke a tooth on a sweet that was far too hard. He grumbled about it at length and reached an obvious conclusion: this can't go on. He ordered the court confectioner to invent a dessert that was soft, tender, and required no heroics from the jaws.

And so the idea of a sweet that's gentle on your teeth was born. With one caveat, of course: sometimes nuts are added to lokum, and then the teeth need to stay alert. But overall, it's one of the most delicate desserts in its region. You could say dental care began long before dental clinics and “don't crunch on hard stuff” advice.

Around that time, the French court repeatedly went through phases of loving everything Eastern. They held Turkish-style receptions and carnivals, introduced Eastern evenings, changed the décor, costumes and the usual order of a dinner. The French kings, famous for their love of luxury, embraced the idea with enthusiasm. Honestly, everyone enjoys feeling like a sultan with a large harem — or a small one — for at least one evening. A lot of women in one place is a quest all its own.

And back to our question. Pablo Picasso loved Turkish delight and kept it within reach while working. He said the sweet helped him concentrate. Whether that's the truth or just a nice detail, we can't say. But if we allow that it is true, a lot of things in his paintings suddenly start to look a bit more logical. Slow chewing, the chewy texture, the lack of hurry — maybe pauses like that really do help you start seeing form differently.

Why it's worth warming lokum up a little

In Turkish markets, lokum is almost never served cold. It's kept on warm surfaces, and that's not a quirk — it's a proven trick. When warm, lokum becomes more elastic and chewy, softer in texture. The flavor feels rounder, with no sharp edges.

What kinds of lokum exist — and what we have

There are lokums with a creamy filling. Inside, it can be a delicate cream or a white-chocolate-based cream. Very often the filling includes nuts — hazelnuts or almonds. On the outside, this type is usually coated with a soft, gently elastic white marshmallow-pastila “shell.” There are also versions with a nut cream — richer and denser in flavor.

Another big group is fruit lokum with nuts. There are lots of flavors here: orange, kiwi, mango, mandarin, and more. The fruit base brings freshness and brightness; the nuts add texture.

There are two-layer lokums that combine a fruit layer with a white marshmallow-pastila layer. These are often sprinkled with coconut flakes, which add a gentle aroma and extra texture.

There are simple cube-shaped lokums — the classic, familiar, well-mannered version. And then there are “cushion”-shaped lokums: inside they have a chocolate cream with nuts, and on top a pistachio dusting. These are richer and are perfect for anyone who loves the chocolate-and-nut combination.

And of course, that isn't everything. There are other flavors, shapes and combinations in the range as well.