The bar
On the Nairobi supermarket shelf the words mean a British chocolate bar with a soft rose centre, imported like the rest of the confectionery aisle. It is a confection with a Turkish name and it is not lokum; we do not sell it, and a bar format is sourced on request for an importer who wants one next to the real thing.
The lokum from Gaziantep
Starch-set cubes dusted with sugar or coconut, rose, lemon and pomegranate, the Gaziantep finger roll filled with whole pistachio and coated in coconut or kadayif, and chocolate covered pieces for the confectionery case. Made in Gaziantep, boxed for retail or cut in bulk for the counter. The Turkish delight page lists the groups and the Turkish delight explained article covers the recipe.
The easiest line for the climate
Plain lokum does not melt. It travels dry, it sits on a warm shelf without complaint, and it keeps for the months we declare, which makes it the easiest Turkish gift line for a country where chocolate needs a reefer and a chiller. An importer usually starts with the box for that reason, for the supermarket and the gift shop, and adds the chocolate covered pieces, in the reefer with the chocolate lines, when the chiller shelf asks for them. For a duka that cannot sell chocolate at all, the wrapped lokum piece sits next to the wrapped candy.
Which box for which shelf
The dusted cube in a printed box is the gift line, for the supermarket, the gift shop and the airport; the pistachio roll cut to order is the counter line, for the deli counter; the chocolate covered piece belongs with the chocolate, in the chiller next to the dragées. An importer usually starts with the box, because it needs no handling, and adds the roll when a counter customer asks for it. The offer states the format, the case weight and the shelf life we declare for each line.
The route into the country
Plain lokum travels dry all year to Mombasa; the chocolate covered pieces go in the reefer with the chocolate lines. The label carries English, with Swahili if you want it, the ingredients, the net weight, the dates and the importer’s name, with the space for the standards mark; the certificate of conformity travel per line, and copies of our certificates are available on request. The unit of sale is one mixed container, so Turkish delight travels on its own pallet next to chocolate, wafers and sweets rather than as a full load.
What to send first
The lines from the chocolate page, the confectionery page and the Turkish delight page, the quantity per line, where you clear, and whether any line carries your own brand. The written offer follows within two working days, in US dollars and the inspection stated; the samples page explains how to taste the lines first, and the Kenya page lists what stays the same on every offer.
Every line here is made in our own factory at Başpınar OSB, Gaziantep — a 10,000 m² site, exporting since 2002 — and certificate copies are available on request.
Is the Turkish delight the real lokum?
Yes: starch-set lokum made in Gaziantep, dusted cubes and the pistachio roll. The chocolate bar that borrowed the name is a British confection; a bar format is sourced on request.
Does Turkish delight need a reefer?
Plain lines travel dry all year and sit on a warm shelf. Chocolate covered pieces travel in the reefer with the chocolate lines.
Can it carry our brand?
Yes, on selected lines: retail boxes and jars under your name, with the label content prepared in English and Swahili.
